Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia join Congress at AICC headquarters

Public Lokpal
September 06, 2024

New Delhi : Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress party on Friday ahead of the Haryana Assembly polls.

Both wrestlers met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior leaders at his 10 Rajaji Marg before joining the party at a press conference at the AICC headquarters.

Asked if the wrestlers would be contesting the assembly elections in Haryana, the Congress said its Central Election Committee would take a decision on that. Both of them had met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday.

Speaking after their joining, Phogat remarked that it is only during difficult times that one discovers who is genuinely supportive.

She expressed her gratitude to the people of the country for their support throughout her wrestling career and hoped to live up to their expectations. Ms. Phogat thanked the Congress, highlighting that it is during challenging moments that one sees who stands by them. She pointed out that when they were dragged onto the streets, every party except the BJP had stood with them and understood their pain and tears. She expressed pride in being associated with a party that stands up against misbehaviour and injustice towards women.

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.

PTI