"It Happens. What To Do?" Sudha Murty On Vinesh Phogat Disqualification

Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty has offered support after wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Paris Olympics - for being 100 grams overweight for the 50 kg category - Wednesday afternoon.

"It happens. What to do? It is the part of the game. I feel sorry for her... that is all I can tell you," Mrs Murty, the wife of Infosys chairman Narayana Murthy, told news agency PTI outside Parliament.

Mrs Murthy was nominated to the Upper House by President Droupadi Murmu in March.

Earlier today - while the nation was prepping and praying for the title bout - there was shocking news from Paris. Ms Phogat was found to be 100 grams the wrong side of 50 kg and was ejected.

This was hours before she was to take on the United States' Sarah Ann Hildebrandt in the final.

READ | Wrestler Vinesh Phogat Out Of Olympics Over Weight, India Appeals

The Indian Olympic Association has lodged an appeal against the disqualification.

The disqualification prompted an outpouring of support for Ms Phogat, with fellow athletes, actors and other prominent personalities, and politicians posting encouraging messages online.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the cheers, calling Ms Phogat "a champion among champions" and urging her to "come back stronger". "Today's setback hurts. I wish words could express the sense of despair I am experiencing. At the same time... you epitomise resilience. It has always been your nature to take challenges head-on. We are rooting for you."

READ | "Wish Words Could Express": PM Modi's Post For Vinesh Phogat

Mr Modi also reached out to national Olympic body chief, iconic sprinter PT Usha, to inquire into all possible ways in which the government can support Vinesh Phogat.

READ | Can Vinesh Phogat's Disqualification Be Overturned? PM Modi

The disqualification also found mention in Parliament, where Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya made a brief statement, declaring the government had provided "all possible support".

"Personal staff, including notable Hungarian coach Woller Akos and physio Ashwini Jiwan Patil, were assigned to her... She received Rs 17,45,775 (in funds) for the Paris Olympics," he said, but the opposition MPs were unconvinced, with several staging a walk-out to protest.

READ | Phogat Given All Assistance Including Personal Staff: Sports Minister

The opposition, though, has launched multiple attacks on the government and has demanded concrete action to support Ms Phogat, who hails from Haryana.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said Ms Phogat - who, off the wrestling mat, leads a #MeToo protest against former BJP MP and former national wrestling body chief Brij Bhushan Singh - had been through a lot. "From protesting on the footpaths (in Delhi) to reaching the pinnacle of the Olympics... it is extremely distressing (to think) what she must be going through..." he said.

Ms Phogat's spearheading of protests against Mr Singh, who faces sexual assault charges in a Delhi court, has become a subplot in the political narratives building around her disqualification.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav served up a nuanced jab at the government, calling for a probe into the "technical reasons" behind her being thrown out of the Olympics.

READ | Political Spats, "Conspiracy" Charges After Vinesh Phogat Disqualified

"There should be a thorough investigation into the technical reasons behind Vinesh Phogat not being able to take part," he said, "... the truth should come to the fore.

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, actors Alia Bhatt, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Taapsee Pannu, and Farhan Akhtar, and Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also offered commiserations.

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