"Won't Do Politics On...": Haryana BJP Chief As Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia Join Congress

In response to Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia's decision to join Congress, Haryana BJP president Mohan Lal Badoli said that players are the pride of our country and that the party does not do politics on 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," the Haryana BJP president told the news agency ANI on Friday.

In a big boost ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections, Olympian wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat joined the Congress on Friday.

Within hours of his joining the party, Bajrang Punia was appointed working president of the All India Kisan Congress, while Vinesh Phogat was announced as a candidate from the Julana Assembly constituency.

Mr Punia and Ms Phogat joined the Congress in the presence of Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, party leader Pawan Khera, Udai Bhan, and AICC incharge of Haryana Deepak Babaria.

Vinesh Phogat recalled women wrestlers' fight over sexual harassment allegations against former BJP MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. "The fight is continuing, it hasn't ended yet. It's in court. We will win that fight as well... With the new platform that we are getting today, we will work for the service of the nation," she said.

The two well-known wrestlers joined the Congress almost a month before the Haryana assembly polls.

Mr Punia won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, while Vinesh Phogat became the first woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final.

Ms Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling a short while after she was disqualified from the Paris Olympic Games after being found overweight by about 100 gm in her 50-kg category weigh-in ahead of the gold medal match.

Voting for the 90-member legislative assembly in Haryana will be held on October 5, with the last date for filing nominations being September 12. Votes will be counted on October 8.