Julana welcomes their bahu, ‘In Vinesh, we will elect a minister not an MLA’
On Brij Bhushan's claims that India could have won more medals, Vinesh said, “If I could, I would have brought the medal.
6 min read
Vinesh Phogat was welcomed with garlands at the Bakhta Khera village in Julana (Express Photo by Jasbir Malhi)Two days after the Congress announced the candidature of wrestler Vinesh Phogat from Julana constituency for the upcoming Haryana assembly polls, she reached her sasural Bakhta Khera village to be welcomed with garlands and blessings by her supporters, including elderly people and women and members of various ‘Khaps’.
She reached the village after spending nearly four hours in the roadshow in villages of her constituency. The local khaps had planned the event to honour her at the government school but they had to change the venue keeping in view the enforcement of model code of conduct. Later, it was held at the agricultural fields of a family member near the village. Girls, women and others started reaching the venue around 10 am. And Vinesh reached around 2.55 pm.
Addressing a charged crowd, Vinesh said, “I have my home here. Whether I win or lose the election battle, I will live here among you. I had to shift from here for wrestling practices because there were not sufficient (facilities) for wrestling.”
Vinesh, whose native Balali village falls in Charkhi Dadri district, said, “It’s my dream to live in the village because my heart is here. It has been my dream to have a home of mud at the agricultural fields. I feel that the lively people of the villages are not found in the cities.”
Expressing her gratitude to Congress leadership, she said: “I am very thankful to Congress, not only for giving me a ticket. When we were sitting on the roads and were on the verge of losing hope, Priyanka Gandhi came to us and told us not to lose hope. Aesa lag raha tha ki hum apane desh ko chhodkar chale jayen kyonki bahut beijati feel ho rahi thee. I admire Rahul Gandhi a lot. He is on the roads with the public for the past 2-3 years to understand their pains.”
Vinesh also gave credit to former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda for promoting sports in Haryana during his 10-year rule but criticised the ruling BJP for not doing enough for sportspersons. She said, “We have seen the decline of sports in Haryana during the past 10 years.”
Calling Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda her elder brother, Vinesh said, “He is a ‘nekdil’ person who supported the wrestling community a lot during our dharna in New Delhi in 2023.”
She added, “I want promotion of every sport in Jind, including wrestling. Encourage your daughters to progress in life.”
In a conversation with a news channel later in Julana, when asked about accusations and comments that former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh made about her, Vinesh said, “If I was that powerful, I would have thrown him in jail. It was my compulsion that I had to compete in two weight categories. There is no such rule that one can not. All such rules were made by Brij Bhushan only and it was according to those rules only that the trials were conducted. The new WFI chief is also his dummy. Federation belongs to him, prime minister is his, BJP is his. They tried to stop me, but it is because of god’s blessings, people’s blessings that I could not be stopped and I went there. That’s why they can not bear me today.”
On Brij Bhushan’s claims that India could have won more medals, Vinesh said, “If I could, I would have brought the medal. It is a big story that I shall tell some day. A game was played. If they had their way, god knows what more they could have done. I know the inside story. Later also, the court case that happened, I did that. The lawyers that the government sent subsequently was merely an eyewash. What should have happened, did not happen. It is my compulsion. We sit on roads, they drag us. We go to olympics, they pull us down. Where should we go?”
At the event, the villagers were discussing the possibility of Vinesh getting inducted into the state cabinet, if she wins the election and Congress forms the next government in the state.
From the stage of the event, former Zila Parishad member Ranbir Narwal said: “Today, there is a chance to take revenge for the atrocities committed by the police on these (wrestler) daughters and martyrdom of 750 farmers on the borders of Delhi during farmer agitation. In Vinesh, we will elect a minister not an MLA. What would be a bigger honour for you than a bahu mantri offers you tea. Vinesh is our honour and identity.”
A considerable number of those present at the event were women. An 18-year-old girl Nisha Hooda came to the venue along with a group of girls from the village. She said, “Vinesh has given us the courage to excel in any field of life be it sports or elections.”
Rekha Rani (46), a teacher at a private school, said, “She is the daughter-in-law of our village. She has made a name for the country in sports and now we hope that she would make us proud in politics too. Chhatish biradari are with Vinesh today to make her victory from the constituency historic. Today, women of our village are feeling 101 per cent stronger than earlier. Now, our daughters have hopes that they can touch any heights in life.”
A close relative of Vinesh, Sanjeet Kumari (32), who was wearing traditional ghaghra, said, “This is a moment of happiness for all women. All women from the village will campaign in the entire constituency of 72 villages.”
Meanwhile, nearly half of the 86 aspirants from Julana constituency who had formally applied for the Congress ticket, gave the event a mis. Vinesh’s in-laws have succeeded to win over the hearts of some but others including two-time former MLA Parminder Singh Dhull, Dharmender Dhull and Rohit Dalal skipped Sunday’s event. Parminder said, “We believe in the policies of the Congress. We will stand by the decision of the party for Julana constituency too.”
Vinesh’s close relative Subhash Rathee insisted that the event was not a political programme of Congress but a social event organised by the khap panchayats.
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