Opposition Adds Muscle To Olympian Vinesh Phogat’s Fight

Olympian Vinesh Phogat's disqualification in the finals at Paris Olympics is set to have a bearing on the politics in her home state of Haryana. The state goes to Assembly polls in a few months.

High pitched politics has already taken off around the wrestler with the opposition going out to target the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The saffron party already stands cornered in the game of perception if the conspiracy theories doing the rounds are any indicators.

But the BJP too is trying to offset the perceptive disadvantage with the state Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announcing awarding all the benefits to Phogat, that are given to a silver medalist and his party machinery targeting the Opposition for trying to derive political benefits on the issue.

The Congress leader and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda rolled the dice on Thursday by making a statement that if the Congress had the numbers, it would definitely have sent Phogat to the Rajya Sabha as she has brought glory to the country in sports.

“Her performance in these Olympics was brilliant. She defeated the best wrestlers from all over the world. In the very first match, she defeated a wrestler from Japan who was undefeated till now.

“If she had not been disqualified, Vinesh would definitely have brought a gold medal for the country. Therefore, she should be given the same reward, respect and position as a gold medal winner by the state government.

“The Congress party feels that Vinesh Phogat should be sent to Rajya Sabha. This will boost the morale of all the players and women and will send a positive message across the country,” Hooda said.

He met the Olympian shooter Manu Bhaker and her parents who had come to visit him. Hooda congratulated and blessed Bhaker who has returned after winning two bronze medals in the shooting event saying that she has brought pride to her parents, village, state and the country through her achievement at a young age.

Calling Phogat’s disqualification a “very unfortunate decision” Hooda aired suspicion that there is a conspiracy behind it. Asking the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to challenge the decision to disqualify her, he called for an investigation into the episode.

Hooda said that there should be no shortage of rewards and honours to the players because sports are the most powerful medium to give proper direction to the youth. He said that it was during the Congress tenure that the sports policy of 'bring medals, get posts' was introduced wherein a provision was made for the appointment of players on high posts like Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).

He added that “the Congress government had given appointments to more than 750 players in government departments under the sports policy. Along with this, a provision of a three percent quota in jobs was made for players.”

“The Congress had also started giving the highest cash prize of up to Rs 5 crore to the players in the country. This policy was appreciated not only in the whole country but all over the world,” Hooda claimed, saying that today the BJP ruled states like Uttar Pradesh and Manipur are also following this policy of the Congress.

He accused the BJP government in Haryana of abolishing this policy and taking away the right of players to be appointed to posts like Inspector and DSP. He further said the state government has also almost abolished the three percent quota of players in jobs.

“But if the Congress government is formed in the state, the 'bring a medal, get a post' policy will be implemented again. Promoting sports and players at every level from school competitions to Olympics will be the priority of the Congress government,” he said.

On the other hand Saini announced in a tweet, “Not just the state, the entire country is proud of Vinesh Phogat @Phogat_Vinesh will get all the facilities of a silver medal winner from the government Opposition leaders do politics in every field, no one should do politics in the field of sports.”

He said during a media interaction, “How can we let her morale down? She is our fighter daughter who has made not only Haryana but the entire country proud. We are with our daughter.”

Accusing Hooda and other Opposition parties of doing politics in everything including sports, he said they should not tell lies and the state government is doing a lot to keep the morale of the players high by giving incentives and benefits.

“They can spread lies but their neither have the will, the inclination nor any policy to do anything,” he said. The state BJP unit added to this and tweeted, “The dark truth of Bhupinder Hooda has come out. The dark truth of Bhupinder Hooda who used to bake his political bread in the name of players has come to the fore.

“Not just sportspersons, Bhupinder Hooda has looted every section during his reign. Stop playing politics with players in the name of sympathy Bhupinder Hooda. The people of Haryana are ready to teach you a lesson for the third time.”

Not to be left behind, senior Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Singh Chautala attacked both the Congress and the BJP for indulging in cheap politics over Phogat’s disqualification.

A former president of IOA and former vice-president of Indian Wrestling Association (IWF) Chautala said the statement of the Chief Minister Saini regarding silver medalist benefits was very unfortunate as Phogat would have 100 percent won the gold medal. He said that Saini was insulting the one who was supposed to win the gold medal by calling her a silver medal winner.

Attacking Hooda he said why he had not thought of sending Neeraj Chopra to the Rajya Sabha when he had won the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics. Why did Hooda send his son Deepender Hooda to Rajya Sabha instead?

Chautala said that it was Chaudhary Om Prakash Chautala who had first announced to give Rs 1 Crore to Olympic gold medal winners when he was the chief minister of the state. It has been 24 years now and Rs 1 crore has now become equivalent to Rs 7 crores.

He announced that if the INLD-BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) government forms the next government in the state, Phogat will be given Rs 7 Crore along with a plot for setting up a wrestling academy.

Meanwhile, hinting at a conspiracy, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader and former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala said in a tweet, “There is anger in the whole of India against the disqualification of Vinesh Phogat from the Olympics.

“This could be a big conspiracy against the sister who has always been surrounded by difficulties, conspiracies and accidents. The investigation of Vinesh's disqualification should be done by a committee that the people of the country trust.

“Today the whole country is with Vinesh Phogat. Due to her bravery, courage, hard work and passion, this dear sister has achieved a position many times bigger than winning the Olympic gold medal.”

Meanwhile, the farmers who are expected to play an important role in the forthcoming Assembly polls, given their emergence as a deciding factor in the recent Lok Sabha elections, have also attacked the IOA and the Indian government over Phogat’s disqualification.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) that is an umbrella organisation of different farmer bodies across the country has stated, “The social media platforms of Vinesh Phogat show that many officials of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and the IOA were trying to stop her from going to the Olympics.

“The people of the country are also well aware that Vinesh Phogat, who raised her voice against sexual harassment against the then BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a favourite of the central government, was already a thorn in the eyes of the Narendra Modi government.

“The SKM solidly stands with Vinesh in her hour of trial. Even though Vinesh was disqualified by the Olympic Association, no one can take her place as an Olympic gold medalist in the hearts of the people of India.”