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Journalism of Courage
Vinesh Phogat Friday met former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda at his residence in New Delhi fuelling speculation that the Olympian wrestler was likely to join the Congress and contest the October 1 Vidhan Sabha elections. While Vinesh did not say anything, Hooda said whoeever comes to Congress, “we welcome them”.
“An athlete does not belong to any particular party or state. An athlete belongs to the entire nation. She belongs to entire nation. It is her choice whether she joins any party or not. Whoever comes to Congress party, we always welcome him or her. It is her decision what she wants to do,” said Hooda, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha.
Vinesh was disqualified from the Paris Olympics after failing to make weight on the second day of the competition. Scheduled to compete in the gold medal bout in the women’s 50kg category, Vinesh was found overweight by 100g on August 8. Her appeal against her disqualification was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Vinesh had by then announced retirement from wrestling.
Ever since the 29 year-old-returned to India on August 17, Congress leaders had been seen with her. Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda was the first political leader to reach IGI Airport in Delhi to welcome her with a ‘Hanuman Gada’, a symbol of victory. Deepender had vociferously supported the agitation by Vinesh and other wrestlers, mostly from Haryana, against the then Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP leader Brijbhushan Sharan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment.
Hooda had earlier said that his party would have nominated Vinesh to Rajya Sabha if they had required numbers, something that he reiterated after meeting the wrestler.
“I had been saying from day one that she should be sent to Rajya Sabha. If I had numbers, I would have ensured her a place in Rajya Sabha. Even now, the Union government can take her to Rajya Sabha by way of nomination. She can be honoured in this way. I had even appealed that she should be honoured [by Haryana government] at par with an Olympic gold medal winner, but that did not happen,” said Hooda.
The bypoll to lone Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana, vacated by Deepender after he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Rohtak, will be held on September 3. Four-time MLA Kiran Choudhry, who in June switched over from Congress to BJP, is the only person to have filed the nomination for the bypoll and is set to be elected to the Upper House.
On her return, Haryana government had honoured Vinesh by awarding her with Rs 4 crore cash prize — that an Olympic silver medalist gets as per state government’s sports policy.
Meanwhile, sources within the Congress said that Vinesh was likely to meet senior party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra too.
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