Mr Punia stated the Congress backed the wrestlers throughout their protest with out even being requested.
New Delhi:
Shaking up the political panorama in Haryana weeks forward of the Meeting elections within the state, wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia have joined the Congress.
Each Olympians, who had been on the forefront of final 12 months’s protests in opposition to the alleged sexual assault and intimidation by former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, had met senior Congress chief and Chief of the Opposition within the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday.
On Friday, Ms Phogat and Mr Punia, who’re each 30 years previous, met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence earlier than formally becoming a member of the social gathering at its headquarters in New Delhi.
“Chak de India, Chak de Haryana! Met our proficient champions Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who’ve made India proud on the planet, at 10, Rajaji Marg. We’re pleased with each of you,” Mr Kharge posted in Hindi on X.
चक दे इंडिया, चक दे हरियाणा!
दुनिया में भारत का नाम रौशन करने वाले हमारे प्रतिभाशाली चैंपियन विनेश फोगाट और बजरंग पुनिया से 10 राजाजी मार्ग पर मुलाक़ात।
हमें आप दोनों पर गर्व है। pic.twitter.com/aFRwfFeeo1
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) September 6, 2024
Talking on the occasion on the Congress workplace, Ms Phogat stated it’s only when occasions are unhealthy that folks know who is basically standing with them.
“I need to thank the folks of the nation for supporting me throughout my wrestling profession and I hope I dwell as much as their expectations. I need to thank the Congress as a result of, as they are saying, it’s only when occasions are unhealthy that one finds out who’s standing with them. After we have been dragged on the roads, each social gathering apart from the BJP stood with us and understood our ache and our tears,” she stated in Hindi.
“I’m very proud to be related to a celebration that stands up in opposition to misbehaviour and injustice in opposition to girls… I need to guarantee the folks of the nation that we are going to work for them with the identical depth with which we labored in wrestling. We stand with each lady who finds herself helpless. If I wished, I might have left wrestling at Jantar Mantar (in the course of the protests) however I reached the finals of the Olympics… however God had different plans. He has now given me an opportunity to serve the folks of my nation,” she added.
Mr Punia stated the Congress backed the wrestlers throughout their protest with out even being requested to whereas BJP MPs ignored letters searching for their help.
“We’re paying the worth for elevating our voice in help of the daughters of the nation… We’ll preserve working for the folks of the nation and strengthen the Congress social gathering in addition to India. Everybody was blissful when Vinesh Phogat reached the finals however some folks additionally celebrated when she was disqualified,” he stated.
Whereas no official announcement has been made but, Ms Phogat is predicted to contest from the Julana constituency, held by the Jannayak Janta Get together, within the Haryana Meeting polls whereas Mr Punia is prone to be fielded from the Badli seat.
Resignation From Railways
Hours earlier than becoming a member of the Congress, Ms Phogat resigned as an officer on particular obligation (OSD) with the Northern Railways, citing private causes.
Posting a photograph of her resignation letter, the wrestler wrote on X: “Serving Indian Railways has been a memorable and proud time of my life. At this level in my life, I’ve determined to separate myself from my service within the railways and have submitted my resignation to the competent authorities of the Indian Railways. I’ll all the time be grateful to the Indian Railway household for this chance given to me by the Railways within the service of the nation.
Ms Phogat’s recognition has acquired a lift lately after she missed out on what would have been a minimum of a silver medal after being disqualified for exceeding the load restrict by 100 grams forward of the ultimate bout within the 50 kg freestyle wrestling occasion. The grit proven by the wrestler in defeating reigning gold medallist Yui Susaki of Japan and happening to enter the ultimate had earned her plaudits whereas her eventual disqualification had damaged a billion hearts.
Farmers’ Help
Ms Phogat introduced her retirement from wrestling after the disqualification and all eyes had been on her subsequent steps. Final week, she reached the Haryana-Punjab Shambhu border, prolonged her help to farmers staging a protest for a authorized assure for minimal help worth (MSP) for crops and stated she stood with them as their daughter.
“Your agitation completes 200 days at the moment. I pray to God that you simply get what you’ve gotten come right here for – your proper, for justice…Your daughter stands with you. I additionally urge the federal government… we too are residents of this nation, if we increase our voices it’s not political each time…You need to hear them…What they’re demanding shouldn’t be illegal,” she had stated.
Enhance To Congress
The entry of the wrestlers into the Congress is predicted to offer it a lift as Ms Phogat is seen to take pleasure in help amongst farmers, who make up a big voting bloc in Haryana. The Congress is hoping that the farmers’ anger in opposition to the BJP will assist it dislodge the social gathering from a state it has dominated since 2014.
The Congress may even hope that Mr Punia and Ms Phogat becoming a member of the social gathering will give it an higher hand in its negotiations with INDIA ally AAP in seat-sharing for the 90 constituencies within the state. Whereas an in-principle settlement concerning an alliance had been introduced on Wednesday, there seems to be a stalemate between the 2 events with the AAP searching for 10 seats and the Congress prepared to surrender solely 5 to seven.
Upbeat after successful 5 out of the ten Lok Sabha seats in Haryana this 12 months after the BJP’s clear sweep in 2019, the state unit of the Congress was reluctant to half with any Meeting constituencies however the push for a tie-up has reportedly come from Rahul Gandhi, who has maintained that it’ll guarantee there is no such thing as a division of votes and provides the social gathering its absolute best probability to defeat the BJP.
Variations throughout the Congress have reportedly delayed its first record of candidates and the BJP has been dealing with pushback and a riot because it did so on Wednesday, with Power Minister Ranjit Chautala and MLA Lakshman Napa quitting the social gathering after being denied tickets. Mr Chautala has stated he’ll contest as an Impartial and Mr Napa has introduced that he will probably be becoming a member of the Congress.
Mr Chautala is the son of Chaudhary Devi Lal Chaudhary, one in every of Haryana’s tallest leaders, who served as chief minister twice and was additionally a deputy prime minister.
