Summary

NEW DELHI: Vinesh Phogatโ€™s tragic disqualification from the Paris Olympics due to missing the 50 kg weight limit before her gold medal match has sparkedโ€ฆ

NEW DELHI: Vinesh Phogatโ€™s tragic disqualification from the Paris Olympics due to missing the 50 kg weight limit before her gold medal match has sparked a political row against the Central Government for the unfortunate incident. Opponents claim this incident might be a calculated move by the BJP Government to retaliate against the 29-year-old wrestler for her vocal protests about alleged sexual misconduct by former Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Singh.

Here are the top 10 opposition leaders and what they said over the controversy-

1. Congress leader Randeep Surjewala

โ€œModi Government has failed Indian sportspersons and the sports arenaโ€ฆ Let us not forget that this is the same Vinesh Phogat who protested at Delhiโ€™s Jantar Mantar for 140 days in 2023 as the Modi Government looked sideways and did not give justice to herโ€ฆ There is a sinister conspiracy behind denying a Gold medal to India.โ€

2. NCP(SCP) leader Supriya Sule

โ€œThe statement of the sports minister in Parliament on Vinesh Phogat is highly condemnable. Vinesh has lost a medal and there has to be a detailed inquiry of the nutritionist, the doctors, a physiotherapist, and the entire support team sanctioned and selected by the IOA that accompanied herโ€ฆ The support team was approved by the government and IOA and has to be held accountable. Mansukh Mandavia, the sports minister, justifying and defending the team is absurd and disgusting, indirectly blaming Vinesh for being overweightโ€ฆ Itโ€™s a sad day for sports and the seriousness with which the government and IOA treat women athletes.โ€

3. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi

โ€œToday is a sad day for sports in India and it is unfortunate that the Government in its response has been found wanting. After hearing the statement of the sports minister in the Lok Sabha today on Vinesh Phogat itโ€™s apparent the Minister has chosen to make her the fall girl. Is it because she took this same government head-on in her quest for justice against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh?โ€

4. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann

โ€œI donโ€™t want to connect with this politics. But please tell me, have the members of the Indian Olympic Association gone there on holiday? Indian Olympic Association did not object to this even once. There was no tweet (from PM Modi) when she (Vinesh Phogat) reached the final, but a tweet was posted when she was disqualified. Come on!โ€

5. Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav

โ€œConduct a thorough investigation into the technical reasons behind Vinesh Phogatโ€™s inability to compete in the final, and ensure that the truth is uncovered and the real cause is identified.โ€

6. TMC MP Derek Oโ€™Brien

โ€œBrave Vinesh Phogat who fought the whole establishment deserves justice. Something is rotten. Very rotten. The truth must come out.โ€

7. Lok Sabha MP Chandrashekhar Azad

Lok Sabha MP Chandrashekhar Azad also criticized the government while speaking in the Rajya Sabha yesterday. โ€œThe minister said we gave so much moneyโ€ฆdid you do charity?โ€ Azad asked. โ€œThe job of the govt was to handle this situation and raise the pride of this country. But you people behaved carelessly and the nation had to bear the brunt.โ€

8. AAP MP Sanjay Singh

In a scathing attack against the government, Sanjay Singh quote tweeted the following words over Vinesh Phogatโ€™s retirement post on X:

โ€œThese are lines dedicated to the countryโ€™s tyrannical government.
Even a single tear is a threat to the regime.
You havenโ€™t yet seen the ocean in the eyes.
The nation will not forget the conspiracies against Vinesh.โ€

9. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh

โ€œVinesh Phogat is assured of a silver or a gold medal at Paris. Will the non-biological PM call her? To congratulate her of course but more importantly to apologise for the atrocious manner in which the Delhi Police misbehaved with her during the women wrestlersโ€™ protest?โ€

10. RLP MP Hanuman Beniwal

โ€œThe PM says we have good international relations, then how did this happen with Vinesh? 140 crore Indians are sad today. There is a big conspiracy in this, it should be investigatedโ€ฆThe Sports ministerโ€™s statement made in the House which mentioned how much money the govt has spent on the athletes, is an insult to the athletes.โ€