New Delhi/Chandigarh: Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia on Friday joined the Congress ahead of the upcoming Haryana assembly elections.
The star wrestlers were formally inducted into the Congress by General Secretary Organisation KC Venugopal in presence of Congress leader Pawan Khera and other senior leaders of the Haryana Congress.
Welcoming the wrestlers into the Congress, Venugopal said that it was a "big day for the Indian National Congress".
"It is a proud moment for all of us. Congress stands with them for the injustice which happened with them," Venugopal said.
LIVE: Eminent personalities join the Indian National Congress at the AICC HQ. https://t.co/SFFVidzxaQ
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 6, 2024
He also targeted the Railways for sending a showcause notice by the Railways to Vinesh, the same day she quit the honourary job, over meeting Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
Speaking on the occasion after joining the Congress, Vinesh thanked the Congress for standing with the wrestlers.
"When we were being dragged on road, except the BJP, aal parties stood by us. I am proud to join party which fights for the cause of women. I will try to work with the same vigour in politics like we did in wrestling and stand with the women who feel helpless," she said.
Vinesh also targeted the BJP on the occasion saying "When we were protesting, BJP IT cell was maligning us and spreading rumours about the end of my career, but I played nationals and also underwent trials for the Olympics and reached Olympics, but God had planned something else".
"When you work hard, you don't get the rewards in the same field. I think God has chosen me for the noble cause to serve my people. I am starting a new innings. I dont want other players to face what we faced as players," she said.
Bajrang Punia, also thanked the Congress leadership for standing with the wrestlers.
Earlier, the wrestlers met National President Mallikarjun Kharge and General Secretary Organisation KC Venugopal in national capital Delhi amid speculations of their joining the grand old party ahead of the Haryana assembly elections.
The development came two days after the two wrestlers met Leader of the Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.
Congress confirmed the meeting of the star wrestlers with the party top brass on its official X handle.
"Meeting with Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge and General Secretary Organisation Shri KC Venugopal of wrestlers Vinesh Phogat ji and Bajrang Punia ji in New Delhi," Congress wrote in the post with a picture of the two wrestlers with Kharge and Venugopal.
कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष श्री @kharge और संगठन महासचिव श्री @kcvenugopalmp से @Phogat_Vinesh जी और @BajrangPunia जी ने मुलाकात की।
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 6, 2024
📍 नई दिल्ली pic.twitter.com/fb0iY39YCs
Speculations were rife for a long time that both the star wrestlers could join Congress. This discussion gained momentum when both of them met Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday.
Assembly elections for 90 seats in Haryana will be held on October 5 while the results will be announced on October 8.
The political move by Phogat and Punia to join the Congress is seen as a boost to the Congress as it seeks to oust the Nayab Singh Saini led BJP government in the state. Phogat announced retirement from wrestling after she was disqualified from the 50kg gold medal bout at the Paris Olympics 2024 for being 100 grams overweight.
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