 "New journey not just politics, but fight for justice, says Vinesh Phogat")
A day after joining the Congress Party ahead of the Haryana Assembly Elections, Wrestler Vinesh Phogat met former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and said that her new journey is not just politics, but a fight for service and justice on a new platform.
Vinesh expressed her happiness after meeting the Congress leader and recounted her experience during the protest in a sexual harassment case against ex-MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. She said that during that time Hooda not only gave them courage but also raised his voice strongly against the injustice being done to the daughters of the country.
"Yesterday I was happy to meet former Chief Minister of Haryana Shri @BhupinderShoodaji and Lok Sabha MP and my elder brother Shri @DeependerSHooda ji at his residence in Delhi. Hooda sahab's sports policy has made Haryana a leader in sports. During his tenure, players got jobs like DSP and cash awards, which attracted the youth towards sports and inspired them to win medals at the international level," Vinesh posted on X.
"Even today I cannot forget the day when we were dragged on the streets of Delhi. In that difficult time, our elder brother Deepender Hooda ji not only stood with us and gave us courage, but also raised his voice strongly against the injustice being done to the daughters of the country. This new journey is not just politics for me, but a fight for service and justice on a new platform," she added.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Brij Bhushan Singh on Saturday termed Congress leaders and wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajran Punia "khalnayak" (villains).
On September 6, the two ace wrestlers joined the Congress almost a month before the Haryana assembly polls.
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Brij Bhushan said, "Vo khalnayak hai Haryana ke. Visheshkar khildaiyo ke (They are villains of Haryana, especially to athletes)."
"Who is Bajrang Punia to even talk to me? He used his wife for political gains. Vinesh Phogat broke the rules by participating in a trial. The rule is that a player cannot give a trial in two weight categories on the same day. She took away the rights of junior wrestlers by giving an incorrect trial. They hijacked the entire system. The same weight she hid here became her downfall there (in Paris Olympics)," Bhushah said.
Punia won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, while Vinesh Phogat became the first woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final in Paris last month.
The wrestlers resigned from their respective positions in Northern Railways earlier on Friday too.
Within hours of them joining the party, wrestler Vinesh Phogat was fielded in the Julana constituency for the upcoming Haryana polls. Whereas, Bajrang Punia was appointed working president of the All India Kisan Congress.
The voting to the 90-member legislative assembly in Haryana will be held on October 5 and the last date for filing nominations is September 12. The counting of votes will be held on October 8.
In the 2019 elections, the BJP, with 40 seats in the 90-member assembly, formed a coalition government with the JJP, which had won 10 seats, while the Congress secured 31 seats. Earlier this year, the BJP-JJP alliance was dissolved.