When we were dragged on roads, all parties except BJP stood with us: Phogat after joining Congress

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress on Friday ahead of the Haryana assembly polls, with the party saying its Central Election Committee would decide if they would contest the elections. Phogat and Punia joined the party in the presence of Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, spokesperson Pawan Khera and Haryana Congress chief Uday Bhan. The two had earlier met Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.

Speaking after their joining, Phogat said she did not want any other sportsperson to go through what she went through. "I want to thank the Congress party... It is said that you realise who is with you during difficult times. When we were being dragged on roads, all parties except the BJP stood with us," she said. "The pain that we have gone through, we stand with all women who have experienced pain," she added.

Punia and Phogat were part of the protest over sexual harassment allegations against former BJP MP and then Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in 2023. "I could have quit wrestling at Jantar Mantar because the BJP's IT cell was publicising that we were spent forces. They said I did not want to play in the nationals but I did; they said I did not want to do trials, I did that... They said I could not go to the Olympics but I did... Unfortunately, it was not god's will," she said.

"I have been given an opportunity to serve the people of my country, this is a new inning. What we faced as a sportsperson, I would not want any other sportsperson to go through that," she said. Phogat on Friday resigned from the Indian Railways, citing personal reasons. Asked if they would be contesting the assembly elections in Haryana, the Congress said its Central Election Committee would take a decision on that. The Congress and AAP are engaged in seat-sharing talks for the Haryana polls. Voting on 90 seats in Haryana will be held on October 5 and the votes counted on October 8.

If Vinesh wants to become 'Cong ki beti' from 'desh ki beti', what objection could we have: Anil Vij

Senior Haryana BJP leader Anil Vij on Friday took a dig at wrestler Vinesh Phogat over joining the Congress, saying what objection could they have if she wanted to become "Congress ki beti" from "desh ki beti". He was asked about Phogat and another wrestler Bajrang Punia, both from Haryana, hours before the two joined the Congress on Friday ahead of the Assembly polls in the state.

"... Agar woh desh ki beti sey Congress ki beti banna chaahti hai, to hamein kya etraaz hai (if Vinesh wants to become Congress' daughter from being the country's daughter, what objection can we have)," the former Haryana home minister said. Vij said the Congress was trying to bring these players with them from the very first day and it was due to their instigation that the wrestlers started the movement in Delhi.

It was because of their (Congress') instigation that the (Delhi) protest was going on, otherwise the matter would have settled long before, he said. Phogat and Punia, both 30 years of age, met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in the national capital and other senior leaders at his 10, Rajaji Marg and officially joined the party at a press conference at the AICC headquarters. Also, Phogat on Friday resigned from the Indian Railways citing personal reasons.

Punia is a Tokyo Games bronze medallist, while Phogat became the first woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final, the stage where she was disqualified after being found over weight by about 100 gm in her 50-kg category weigh-in. She subsequently announced her retirement from the sport. Punia and Phogat were 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.

Congress MP Deepender Hooda had led a rousing welcome for Phogat at the Delhi airport on her arrival from the Paris Olympics last month. Hooda had vociferously supported the agitation by Phogat and other wrestlers, mostly from Haryana, against Singh over allegations of sexual harassment. Phogat faced a heartbreaking exit at the Paris Olympics where she was disqualified for being overweight on the day of her 50kg final match.