We will be safe only when misrule ends: Vinesh Phogat rebuttal to ‘Ek hai to safe hai’

Without naming Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh — the then chief of Indian Wrestling Federation who was accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers — Phogat said the BJP failed to support women who had then protested against him.

“Now the government is showering love and affection on women by rolling out schemes. When we raised our voice against what is wrong, BJP leaders did not support us. Where was all that affection then?” said Phogat, one of the country’s most decorated women wrestlers.

“We have raised these questions over the last two years, but there seems to be no response,” Phogat said, adding that she hoped women leaders from the BJP would address these queries.

Asked about schemes like Maharashtra’s ‘Ladki Bahin’, Phogat dubbed it a gimmick.

“Why introduce this scheme just four months before elections?”

A new entrant in the political arena, Phogat contested on a Congress ticket and won the Julana Assembly seat in Haryana.

In Pune to campaign for Congress candidates, she also expressed her displeasure at hate speeches during the election campaign.

“This atmosphere of hate is not good for our country,” she said and accused the BJP of using caste and religion to divide people.

“As sportspersons, we are taught the value of sportsmanship whether we lose or win,” she said, adding that these elections were an opportunity to vote for Maha Vikas Aghadi.

Speaking on her ambition now that she had entered politics, Phogat said she did not dream of any posts.

“I have come on the streets and fought against injustice so that other women do not face the same problems. Ever since I was small, my life has been one of struggle. And now that I have reached here, the struggle continues. We do not want women who are struggling and dealing with hardships to face the same mental torture,” she said.

She added that she has faced several charges and allegations.

“We are called deshdrohi (traitors). Then there are allegations that we cheated to reach the Olympics. I am a khiladi (sportsperson), and now a Congress MLA, and I have a lot of questions to ask. If you say sportspersons have cheated and reached the Olympics, then was it not the government who allowed it? Were you sleeping then?” she asked.

“Even if the Congress had not given me the ticket to contest or I had not got any post, I will work for people. I have no dream of becoming PM or CM,” she said.

Earlier while interacting with several groups of sportspersons including Shiv Chhatrapati awardees, Phogat promised to support them and bring in good sports policies to encourage youngsters.

“In Haryana, a huge fillip was given to sports when the Congress was in power, apart from jobs and cash awards for talented sportspersons. We hope to do the same for sportspersons in Maharashtra, bring in better stadiums, and provide benefits,” she said.