Indian wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia join Congress

Phogat, who was has been disqualified from the Paris 2024 Olympics wrestling competition for being overweight in the women’s 50kg category on the morning of her gold medal bout, and Punia were faces of the 2023 protest against Brij Bhushan Singh.

Earlier in the day, both the athletes met Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge before joining the grand old party of the country.

Following the meeting, Congress posted on X: "Chak De India, Chak De Haryana. Met the two talented Indian wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia who made the country proud internationally at 10, Rajaji Marg. We are proud of you."

Speaking to reporters, Phogat said: "I thank the Congress very much because it is only in bad times that we realise who is our own." "When we were being dragged on the road, all of you were with us except BJP. You were able to understand our pain and tears," she said.

She said she would stand in support of women in society.

"I am proud that I am joining a party which fights against injustice faced by women. I am ready to work hard for the people of the country just like we devoted our life to wrestling," she said.

Ahead of joining the Congress, Phogat also resigned from Indian Railways.

The BJP is treading cautiously over the development in Haryana keeping their criticism of the wrestlers on hold. 

Talking about Phogat, former Haryana home minister and senior BJP leader Anil Vij, as quoted by Indian Express, told reporters: “Agar woh desh ki beti sey Congress ki beti banana chaahti hai, to hamein kya aitraz hai (If Vinesh wants to become the Congress’s daughter instead of being the whole country’s daughter, what objection can we have)?”

 He, however, added this was proof that “it was because of their (the Congress’s) instigation that the protests (against Brij Bhushan) were going on”. “Otherwise the matter would have been settled much earlier,” he said. “The Congress was trying to bring these players to its side from the very first day,” he said, according to the Indian Express report. 

On August 7, Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, competing in the women's 50kg freestyle category in the Paris Olympics 2024, was disqualified just before her gold medal bout with the US' Sarah Hildebrandt.

Phogat was given the reason that she weighed 100 grams more than the permissible limit of UWW.

Later in the day, the wrestler appealed against her disqualification at the CAS and sought a silver medal.

On August 8, Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling after being upset with her disqualification.

The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) on August 19 released a full report of the entire proceedings related to Phogat's disqualification.

The CAS explained the terms and conditions of the United World Wrestling (UWW) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the detailed report.

The CAS, in its preliminary observations, also mentioned that this was a particularly difficult case.

The international body, however, noted that Vinesh Phogat was above the 50 kg limit for her wrestling category when she weighed in for the finals at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Haryana will vote to elect a new assembly on October 5.

The counting of votes will take place on October 8.