Ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections, wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress on Friday. The party said that the Central Election Committee will decide from where the two wrestlers will contest the elections. Both the wrestlers joined the Congress in the presence of Congress General Secretary (Organization) KC Venugopal, party’s Haryana in-charge Deepak Babaria, State Congress President Suraj Bhan, spokesperson Pawan Khera and other leaders at a press conference held at the party headquarters here.
During the press conference, party general secretary KC Venugopal denied allegations of any “conspiracy” behind the move. Also, targeted the Railways for sending show cause notices to the Olympians. Wrestler Vinesh Phogat resigned from the Indian Railways on Friday citing personal reasons. Apart from this, Bajrang Punia also resigned from the railway job.
Phogat and Punia joined the Congress a day after meeting Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and party MP Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. During a press conference on Friday, Venugopal revealed that the Railways has sent a show cause notice to Punia and Phogat over this meeting. KC Venugopal claimed that the Railways has issued a show cause notice to Phogat after meeting Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday. Party sources said that the notice mentions violation of service rules by meeting political leaders. Venugopal asked whether meeting the Leader of the Opposition is a crime? He also requested the railway officials to relieve Phogat from duty and ‘not do politics’.
He said, “Vinesh Phogat and Punia resigned from their jobs in the Railways and have received a show cause notice. The Railways cited rumours and said there were reports that you (Vinesh Phogat) are going to contest elections. The Railways said Phogat cannot contest elections as she is a railway employee and has sought an explanation. This notice was given before any announcement of her joining the Congress, she only met the Leader of Opposition. Is it a crime to meet the Leader of Opposition?” Venugopal said in a stern tone to the railway officials, “I am reminding the Railways that the whole country is with Phogat and Punia… don’t do politics. They have already resigned from railway jobs… Railway officials should quickly complete the formalities and let them go.”
Asked if Phogat and Poonia would contest the assembly elections, he said the party’s central election committee would decide on it. Before joining the Congress, Phogat and Poonia met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. After joining the party, Phogat said that the BJP is supporting Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh while the Congress supported the protesting wrestlers even when they were being dragged on the streets in Delhi. Poonia and Phogat were part of the protest in 2023 over allegations of sexual harassment against former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and then Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.