Ticket for Vinesh Phogat, party post for Bajrang Punia: ‘Congress understood our pain’

“I thank the Congress. Because they say you get to know who is your own in your bad times. When we were being dragged on the streets, apart from the BJP, all the parties of the country were with us. They understood our pain. I feel proud that I am with a party that is standing with women. It is ready to fight from the streets to Parliament,” Phogat said at a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters. Senior party leaders such as Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan, and AICC’s Haryana in-charge Deepak Babaria welcomed the two wrestlers into the party.

Thanking the Congress leadership, Punia said, “The BJP IT Cell is saying that our eventual goal was to do politics. I would like to say that we had sent a letter to all BJP female MPs, but they didn’t come. They didn’t stand with those girls. The Congress stood with us on their own. We now know the atrocities on daughters at Jantar Mantar. I can say only the BJP supported it, while all other parties stood with us.”

By bringing the two on board, the Congress is looking to expand its support base among women, sportspersons, and the youth, apart from consolidating Jat votes. Julana, where Phogat’s in-laws are from, has a significant Jat population and is currently represented by Amarjeet Dhanda of the Jannayak Janta Party.

At the press conference, targeting the BJP, Phogat said, “I could have given up on wrestling at Jantar Mantar (during the protests). Because the BJP IT Cell tried to prove that our wrestling career was over, people were believing it. They said I could not compete in the national championship and I did it. They said I did not want to give the trials. I did it. They said I did not want to compete in the Olympics. I did it and reached the finals.”

The wrestler said she hoped that athletes in the future would not have to face what she and her fellow protesters had to go through. “Maybe they get some courage. That the parties in power may not stand with them, but they have brothers and sisters who will be there,” Phogat said. On the court case against Brij Bhushan Singh, she said: “That fight is ongoing, and we won’t back out. The case is going on. We will win the case and win the battle of life too.”

Earlier in the day, Phogat resigned from her Railways job. The Congress alleged that both she and Punia had received a show-cause notice from the Railways after their meeting with the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday. Railways officials, who did not wish to be identified, confirmed that show-cause notices had been sent to the two on Wednesday. An official said the notices asked them to clarify their position on joining a political party.

“Vinesh resigned from her job today,” K C Venugopal said at the press conference. “Is it a crime to stand with the Leader of the Opposition of the country? They didn’t join, or tell anybody. The Railways is running behind rumours. They are saying there is news that you are going to contest elections.”

He added, “Their only crime is that they met the LoP. What is the thinking of the Railway authorities? I am generally reminding the Railways authorities. The entire country will be with these two players. Don’t play politics on these issues. They have already resigned from the posts. Do the formalities quickly and relieve them.”

On the protests that Phogat and Punia led last year, the Congress leader said, “Not only did they stand for their field, but they also stood for the farmers of the country. When the farmers’ agitation happened, they were there. Then, they fought for Agniveers.”

He added, “Leaders will come through movement and these two persons came through the biggest movement of this country. Now somebody is criticising that this is a Congress conspiracy. So many athletes and Olympians are in different parties. Is that also part of a conspiracy?”

Venugopal said Punia had prominently advocated the cause of farmers and wanted the responsibility to work for them.