Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat were prominent figures in last year's protests against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment charges. The two joined the Congress on Friday.
Olympic bronze medallist and Congress leader Bajrang Punia strongly criticized former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh on Saturday, after Singh claimed that wrestler Vinesh Phogat “deserved to be disqualified” from the Paris Olympics.
A day after both Punia and Vinesh Phogat joined the Congress, Singh told ANI, "Is it not true that Bajrang went to the Asian Games without trials? I want to ask those who are experts in wrestling. Can Vinesh Phogat compete in two weight categories in a single day? Can the trials be paused for five hours after the weigh-in? You didn't win your place; you cheated. God punished you for that."
In an interview with India Today, Punia fired back, stating that Singh’s remarks reveal his attitude towards the country. “It wasn’t just Vinesh’s medal; it was a medal for 1.4 billion Indians. And here he is, celebrating her loss,” said Punia, who also serves as the working chairman of the All India Kisan Congress.
He continued, "Those celebrating Vinesh’s disqualification, do they consider themselves patriots? We’ve been fighting for this country since childhood, and now they lecture us on patriotism while molesting girls."
Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat were prominent figures in last year's protests against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment charges. The two joined the Congress on Friday.
During a press conference that day, Punia pledged to work hard for both the Congress and the country. Reflecting on Phogat’s Olympic journey, he said, "When Vinesh qualified for the finals, the whole country was happy, but the next day, everyone was sad. Meanwhile, one IT cell was celebrating."
On Friday, the Congress released its first list of 31 candidates for the Haryana assembly elections, naming Vinesh Phogat as its candidate for the Julana constituency. Punia won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, while Phogat made history as the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final.
Voting for Haryana's 90-member assembly is set for October 5, with the results to be announced on October 8.
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 "'Gloating at her loss...': Bajrang Punia slams Brij Bhushan after he makes 'cheating' claims at Vinesh Phogat")
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