Haryana Assembly Elections: Bhupinder Hooda dismisses speculation of Vinesh Phogat joining Congress

Haryana Assembly Elections 2024: The former Haryana Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Bhupinder Singh Hooda today (August 23) reacted to the speculation regarding the former Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat joining Congress and labelled it as a 'hypothetical question' and said that people will get to know if anyone joins the party. 

On being asked if wrestler Vinesh Phogat will join the Congress, Bhupinder Singh Hooda told media, "It is a hypothetical question. But athletes do not belong to one party alone, they are of the entire country. If anyone joins the party, you will get to know. We welcome whoever joins the party but it is a hypothetical question. It depends on her. Today, she has faced injustice. She should be given her due honour. She should be nominated to Rajya Sabha."

On her Olympics performance, Hooda said, "I had said that she should be given the same honour which is given to a Gold medal winner. She was not given that. The Government announced a Silver medal honour for her. I had said that just like Sachin Tendulkar was nominated to the Rajya Sabha, she should be nominated as well. Injustice has been done to her, she was not given justice."

Bhupinder Hooda on Agniveer Scheme

Hitting out at the government for Agniveer Scheme, Hooda said that they are messing with the future of the youth and their future is plunged into darkness.

"We had said that if Congress forms government at Centre, we will reinstate the old recruitment process, which was pensionable. An 18-year-old will get recruited and come back as a 22-year-old. He will neither get any pension or facility. This is messing with their future. Haryana and Punjab will suffer the loss as earlier, around 5000 youth joined the armed forces but under this Agniveer scheme, only 250 youth joined. Their future plunged into darkness," Hooda said.

Lashing out at the state government, Hooda said that Haryana is lagging behind in every aspect whether it is unemployment, sports, per capita income, or investment.

"In 2014, when we went out of power, Haryana was number 1 with respect to per capita income, per capita investment, law and order, employment and sports. But today, we are lagging behind. What is it in which we are leading today? In unemployment. Crime is rising rapidly. Law and order has failed."

Bhupinder Singh Hooda on wrestlers protest 

Addressing the wrestlers protest, Hooda hit out at the government and said the daughters who won accolades across the world are still waiting for the justice. "Our women wrestlers, who have won accolades across the world, had to sit at Jantar Mantar but they have still not received justice. Same case is with employment; they had launched 'Kaushal Rojgaar Nigam' which promised temporary jobs and on contractual basis but during our government we gave regular jobs which secured the future of the youths. Today 2 lakh sanctioned posts in Haryana are vacant. Once Congress government comes to power, we will provide 1 lakh permanent jobs in the first year itself and the 50,000 jobs each in the subsequent years," said Hooda.

Since January 2023, wrestlers including Vinesh, Sakshi and Bajrang Punia are protesting against Brij Bhushan accusing him of sexual exploitation and intimidation. Earlier on August 22, former Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Thursday claimed that Delhi Police has revoked the security cover of female wrestlers set to testify in the sexual harassment case against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

"Delhi Police has withdrawn the security of the women wrestlers who are going to testify against Brij Bhushan in the court. @DelhiPolice @DCWDelhi @NCWIndia," Phogat said in a post on X. However, the Delhi police denied the allegation.

"The security provided to the wrestlers hasn't been withdrawn; it was decided to request Haryana Police to takeover the responsibility in future since the protectees normally reside there," said DCP New Delhi in a post on X.