Congress behind the wrestlers protest, says WFI chief day after Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia join party

AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal (C) with wrestlers Vinesh Phogat (R) and Bajrang Punia (L) as they joined the Congress party. PTI

Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Singh around the world again claimed the protest against former chief and ex-BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and the organisation changed into ‘politically motivated’. The claim came a day after Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, two wrestlers who were on the forefront of the protest, joined the Congress and will contest the Haryana assembly elections.

“…They joined Congress, so this proves that they were on the back of that protest. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh changed into related to BJP, I am now not related to any party or person but they opposed me too. So this entire protest changed into politically motivated,” said Sanjay Singh.

“They started the protest and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh distanced himself from wrestling, so the issue must have ended there, however it changed into politically motivated and Congress changed into on the back of it.

“Sakshi Malik just is not often any different, she is likewise with them. ninety 9% of the players of Haryana are with us,” he claimed.

Sakshi, a Rio Olympics medallist, had retired contained within the aftermath of WFI elections where Sanjay, thought of as to be in the case of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, changed into appointed as the president.

The duo of Vinesh and Punia joined the Congress on Friday with a vow of “now not being scared or backing off”.

While there changed into no clarity yet on whether Punia would contest the polls, the party leaders confirmed that Phogat would contest from the Julana assembly segment.

Hours after joining the Congress, Punia changed into appointed the working chairman of All India Kisan Congress by the party.

Phogat and Punia met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his place of abode and later joined the party on the AICC headquarters contained within the presence of Congress general secretary in-charge organisation KC Venugopal, AICC general secretary in-charge Haryana Deepak Babaria, Haryana Congress chief Uday Bhan and the party’s media and publicity department head Pawan Khera.

At the click conference one day of which they joined the party, Venugopal claimed that Phogat received a show cause notice from the Railways after she met Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday. Birthday celebration sources said the attention talked about violating service rules by meeting the political leaders.

Venugopal asked if it changed right into a crime to fulfill the leader of the opposition and urged the Railway authorities to relieve Phogat and now not “play politics”.

Without elaborating, Venugopal claimed that Punia had also got a notice.

Phogat on Friday resigned from the Indian Railways, citing personal reasons.

After joining the party, Phogat said the BJP changed into supporting Singh while the Congress supported the protesting wrestlers when they “were being dragged on the roads” in Delhi.

Punia and Phogat were part of the protest over sexual harassment allegations against former BJP MP after which Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Singh in 2023.

मैं कांग्रेस का बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद करती हूं, क्योंकि बुरे समय में ही पता चलता है- अपना कौन है।

जब हमें सड़क पर घसीटा जा रहा था, तो BJP को छोड़कर आप सभी हमारे साथ थे। आप हमारे दर्द और आंसुओं को समझ पा रहे थे।

मुझे गर्व है कि मैं एक ऐसी विचारधारा से जुड़ी हूं, जो महिलाओं पर हो… %twitter.com/MWo8N0EpaV

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 6, 2024

“I thank the people of the u . s . and the media, you supported me one day of my wrestling journey. I thank the Congress party, or not it truly is an excellent distance said not easy times tell you about who is with you. After we were dragged on the roads, all parties excluding the BJP stood with us and understood our pain and tears,” the 30-year-old said on the click conference.

She said she felt proud that she changed into with a celebration and an ideology that stood against injustice on women folk and adjusted into ready to fight the battle from the streets to Parliament.

“I could need quit wrestling at Jantar Mantar and people also thought so (that I might do so). The BJP IT Cell propagated that we were a spent force and indulging in politics. They said I didn’t would wish to play contained within the nationals, I played the nationals. They said she did now not would wish to present trials, I gave trials. They said she does now not would wish to fight on the Olympic level, I did that and reached the finals. Unfortunately, God had other plans,” she said.

“I am starting a brand new innings. I might like sportspersons don’t face what we would have liked to undergo,” Phogat said, adding that her move would per chance inspire them.

“Sportspersons are wronged time and again but are unable to chat out. Learn about us, they got Bajrang banned for four years on doping charges because he stood with us So we're paying a value, we can now not be scared and won’t back off. The fight will continue. Our court case goes on, we can win that also, we can win in life,” she said.

Phogat said they may be a few the people and make certain their welfare.

She said she would wish to tell the women that she changed into standing with them and that the Congress changed into standing with them every time they faced any problem.

मैं सभी का धन्यवाद देता हूं।

हम अन्याय के खिलाफ साथ मिलकर लड़ेंगे और हर संघर्ष में कांग्रेस के साथ खड़े रहेंगे।

हमने महिला पहलवानों पर हो रहे अन्याय के खिलाफ BJP की महिला सांसदों को पत्र लिखा था, लेकिन कोई हमारे साथ खड़ा नहीं हुआ।

लेकिन कांग्रेस हर मोड़ पर हमारे साथ खड़ी रही।… %twitter.com/VSMowHH8LV

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 6, 2024

Punia said the Congress stood with them one day of their not easy times.

“What the BJP IT Cell is saying at this time time that we just wanted to do politics We had written to all women folk BJP MPs to stand with us but they didn’t come. We're paying the value for raising our voices for women folk but now we know that the BJP stands with atrocities against women folk at Jantar Mantar and all other parties stand with us,” he said.

“We can work flat out to augment the Congress and the nation The day Vinesh qualified for the finals, the u . s . changed into happy however it the following day all and sundry changed into sad. At that point, one IT cell changed into celebrating,” he said in a swipe on the BJP.

Venugopal said that it changed right into a “special occasion” for the Congress and a proud moment “for all of us” to welcome Phogat and Punia into the party fold.

Polling for ninety seats in Haryana shall be held on October 5 and the votes shall be counted on October eight.

Brij Bhushan downplays Phogat, Punia’s impact

Downplaying Phogat and Punia’s foray into politics, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said any BJP candidate will defeat them.

The former BJP MP from Kaiserganj constituency also offered to campaign contained within the upcoming elections if the party approved.

“These wrestlers made a reputation contained within the sport and have used to be famous on the strength of wrestling. Now after joining Congress, their name shall be erased,” Singh, who had been removed as Indian wrestling chief after being accused of sexually harassing severa female wrestlers, told journalists at his place of abode in Vishnoharpur near Gonda, Uttar Pradesh.

Reacting to this development, Singh said, “These people factor in politics to be a wind. They're thinking that they will win the assembly elections from Haryana. They're ready to contest from any assembly seat in Haryana, a small BJP candidate will defeat them.”

He went on to be in a position to add: “If my party directs, I could go and campaign contained within the Haryana assembly elections. I claim that I could get maximum improve from the people of their community. I am ready to campaign in favour of the BJP candidate in front of them along with.”

(with inputs from PTI)