Vinesh Phogat resigns from Indian Railways, joins Congress alongside Bajrang Punia

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia met Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday. X/@INCIndia

Ending days of speculation, wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress on Friday earlier than the Haryana Assembly polls.

Phogat and Punia met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge within the national capital on Friday. They later joined the Congress birthday party on the AICC headquarters within the presence of general secretary in-charge organisation KC Venugopal, AICC general secretary in-charge Haryana Deepak Babaria, Haryana Congress chief Uday Bhan and the Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera.

At the press conference at some point of which they joined the birthday party, Venugopal claimed that Phogat had been issued a show bring about notice by the Railways after she met Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday. Party sources said the awareness talked about violating service rules by meeting political leaders.

Venugopal asked if it changed right into a crime to meet the leader of the opposition and urged the Railway authorities to alleviate Phogat and no longer “play politics”.

On whether Phogat and Punia would contest the assembly polls, he said the birthday party’s Central Election Committee would come to a decision on that.

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

Punia and Phogat were a part of the protest over sexual harassment allegations against former BJP MP and then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in 2023.

“I thank the people of the U.S. of a and the media, you supported me at some point of my wrestling journey. I thank the Congress birthday party. Tough times inform you about who's with you. After we were dragged on the roads, all parties other than the BJP stood with us,” she said on the press conference.

“I'm starting a brand new innings. I would prefer sportspersons don’t deserve to face what we needed to undergo,” Phogat said.

“We're going to no longer be scared and won’t back off. Our court case goes on, we're ready to win that also,” she said.

Venugopal said 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 birthday party fold.

The overall us of a stood with them after they protested, he said, citing the support extended by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Congress leaders.

“They (Phogat and Punia) no longer simplest stood for themselves but fought for farmers and stood with them,” Venugopal said.

“Some persons are criticising their joining the Congress. So many athletes and Olympians are in different parties, is that also a conspiracy?” Venugopal asked.

Both Phogat and Punia or a minimum of one of them are set to contest the assembly polls on a Congress ticket, the sources said.

Earlier within the day, Phogat resigned from the Indian Railways citing personal reasons.

“Serving Indian Railways has been a memorable and proud time of my life,” she said in her resignation letter, as posted on X.

“It normally is a ways requested that I, Vinesh, w/o Sh. Somvir Rathi at present is working as OSD/Sports Northern - Railway in Level - 7,” Vinesh wrote in her resignation letter addressed to the general manager Northern Railways.

भारतीय रेलवे की सेवा मेरे जीवन का एक यादगार और गौरवपूर्ण समय रहा है।

जीवन के इस मोड़ पर मैंने स्वयं को रेलवे सेवा से पृथक करने का निर्णय लेते हुए अपना त्यागपत्र भारतीय रेलवे के सक्षम अधिकारियों को सौप दिया है। राष्ट्र की सेवा में रेलवे द्वारा मुझे दिये गये इस अवसर के लिए मैं… percenttwitter.com/HasXLH5vBP

— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) September 6, 2024

“Sir, keeping in view of my family circumstances/personal reasons, I'm unable to perform my duties as OSD/sports. Therefore with none pressure, I ought to tender my resignation,” she said.

Vinesh requested for her resignation to be accepted with immediate effect.

“It normally is a ways kindly requested that my resignation with immediate effect shall be accepted from Northern Railway. One month salary shall be deposited in lieu of my one month notice period,” she added.

She changed into employed as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) with Northern Railways.

“At this point in my life, I have made up our minds to separate myself from the railway service and have submitted my resignation to the competent authorities of the Indian Railways,” said the wrestler who met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi this week, resulting in widespread speculation of her joining the birthday party and contesting the Haryana assembly elections next month.

“I'm going to always be grateful to the Indian Railway family for this chance given to me by the Railways within the service of the nation,” she added.

The 30-year-old had retired from wrestling following her disqualification from the 50kg gold medal match on the Paris Olympics for being overweight by 100 grammes earlier than the final.

She had appealed against the decision but that changed into struck down by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. In her resignation letter, Vinesh cited personal reasons for resigning.