Chandigarh: In reaction to Olympian wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat joining the Congress party, Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli stated on Saturday that athletes are the nation's pride and emphasized that the BJP does not engage in politics using them. “Players are the pride of our country, we don’t do politics on them. They will work as a member of Congress after joining,” Badoli told media.
The Congress party welcomed the wrestlers on Friday, marking a significant boost for the party. Bajrang Punia was quickly appointed as the working president of the All India Kisan Congress, while Vinesh Phogat was nominated as a candidate for the Haryana assembly elections from Julana. The announcement came in the presence of Congress leaders, including general secretary KC Venugopal and party leader Pawan Khera.
Vinesh Phogat highlighted the ongoing legal battle related to sexual harassment allegations against former BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, stating that their fight is continuing. She expressed optimism about using the new platform to contribute to the nation’s service.
The wrestlers' political shift occurs just a month before the Haryana assembly elections, scheduled for October 5, with the last date for filing nominations set for September 12. The results will be announced on October 8.
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