NEW DELHI: Vinesh Phogatโs 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
140 crore Indians are stunned today with the sudden disqualification of Vinesh Phogat. It is a black day for Indian Sports.
Modi Government has failed Indian sportspersons and the sports arenaโฆ Let us not forget that this is the same Vinesh Phogat who protested at Delhiโsโฆ pic.twitter.com/Q5TAQw8jMv
โ Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 7, 2024
โModi Government has failed Indian sportspersons and the sports arenaโฆ Let us not forget that this is the same Vinesh Phogat who protested at Delhiโs Jantar Mantar for 140 days in 2023 as the Modi Government looked sideways and did not give justice to herโฆ There is a sinister conspiracy behind denying a Gold medal to India.โ
2. NCP(SCP) leader Supriya Sule
The 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 thatโฆ
โ Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) August 7, 2024
โThe 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 herโฆ 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 overweightโฆ Itโs 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
Today is a sad day for sports in India and 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 itโs apparent the Minister has chosen to make her the fall girl. Is itโฆ
โ Priyanka Chaturvedi๐ฎ๐ณ (@priyankac19) August 7, 2024
โToday 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 itโs 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
#WATCH | Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann meets Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogatโs uncle Mahavir Phogat in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana
CM Mann says, โโฆsuch mistakes are happening on such a high level. Coaches and physiotherapists are paid in lakhs. Have they gone there for holidays?โ pic.twitter.com/HssegHyHPU
โ ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2024
โI donโt 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
เคตเคฟเคจเฅเคถ เคซเฅเคเคพเค เคเฅ เคซเคผเคพเคเคจเคฒ เคฎเฅเค เคจ เคเฅเคฒ เคชเคพเคจเฅ เคเฅ เคเคฐเฅเคเคพ เคเฅ เคคเคเคจเฅเคเฅ เคเคพเคฐเคฃเฅเค เคเฅ เคเคนเคฐเฅ เคเคพเคเค-เคชเคกเคผเคคเคพเคฒ เคนเฅ เคเคฐ เคธเฅเคจเคฟเคถเฅเคเคฟเคค เคเคฟเคฏเคพ เคเคพเค เคเคฟ เคธเคเฅเคเคพเค เคเฅเคฏเคพ เคนเฅ เคเคฐ เคเคธเคเฅ เคชเฅเคเฅ เคเฅ เค เคธเคฒเฅ เคตเคเคน เคเฅเคฏเคพ เคนเฅเฅค
โ Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) August 7, 2024
โConduct a thorough investigation into the technical reasons behind Vinesh Phogatโs inability to compete in the final, and ensure that the truth is uncovered and the real cause is identified.โ
6. TMC MP Derek OโBrien
My intervention today in Parliament. โMedal or no medal, we salute you. You are a hero Vinesh Phogat. Thank you for what you have done for Indiaโ
BRAVE VINESH PHOGAT who fought the whole establishment deserves justice. Something is rotten. Very rotten. THE TRUTH MUST COME OUT. pic.twitter.com/BeAHl0D3AS
โ Derek OโBrien | เฆกเงเฆฐเงเฆ เฆโเฆฌเงเฆฐเฆพเฆฏเฆผเงเฆจ (@derekobrienmp) August 7, 2024
โBrave 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
Excellent speech by Chandra Shekhar Azad on respect for women.
Thank you @BhimArmyChief pic.twitter.com/IM7pgdCXlC
โ Riya Sahu (@__Riyusahucg) August 7, 2024
Lok Sabha MP Chandrashekhar Azad also criticized the government while speaking in the Rajya Sabha yesterday. โThe minister said we gave so much moneyโฆdid you do charity?โ Azad asked. โThe 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
เคฆเฅเคถ เคเฅ เคคเคพเคจเคพเคถเคพเคน เคธเคฐเคเคพเคฐ เคเฅ เคธเคฎเคฐเฅเคชเคฟเคค เคชเคเคเฅเคคเคฟเคฏเคพเคเฅค
เคเค เคเคเคธเฅ เคญเฅ เคนเฅเคเฅเคฎเคค เคเฅ เคฒเคฟเค เคเคผเคคเคฐเคพ เคนเฅ
เคคเฅเคฎ เคจเฅ เคฆเฅเคเคพ เคจเคนเฅเค เคเคเคเฅเค เคเคพ เคธเคฎเฅเคเคฆเคฐ เคนเฅเคจเคพ @Phogat_Vinesh เคเฅ เคธเคพเคฅ เคนเฅเค เคธเคพเคเคผเคฟเคถเฅเค เคเฅ เคฆเฅเคถ เคจเคนเฅ เคญเฅเคฒเฅเคเคพเฅค https://t.co/X7kwEocCoKโ Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) August 8, 2024
In a scathing attack against the government, Sanjay Singh quote tweeted the following words over Vinesh Phogatโs retirement post on X:
โThese are lines dedicated to the countryโs tyrannical government.
Even a single tear is a threat to the regime.
You havenโt yet seen the ocean in the eyes.
The nation will not forget the conspiracies against Vinesh.โ
9. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh
เคตเคฟเคจเฅเคถ เคซเฅเคเคพเค เคเคพ เคชเฅเคฐเคฟเคธ เคเคฒเคเคชเคฟเค เคฎเฅเค เคธเคฟเคฒเฅเคตเคฐ เคฏเคพ เคเฅเคฒเฅเคก เคฎเฅเคกเคฒ เคชเคเฅเคเคพ เคนเฅเฅค เคเฅเคฏเคพ เคจเฅเคจ-เคฌเคพเคฏเฅเคฒเฅเคเคฟเคเคฒ เคชเฅเคฐเคงเคพเคจเคฎเคเคคเฅเคฐเฅ เคเคจเฅเคนเฅเค เคเฅเคฒ เคเคฐเฅเคเคเฅ? เคจเคฟเคถเฅเคเคฟเคค เคฐเฅเคช เคธเฅ เคเคจเฅเคนเฅเค เคฌเคงเคพเค เคฆเฅเคจเฅ เคเฅ เคฒเคฟเค, เคฒเฅเคเคฟเคจ เคเคธเคธเฅ เคญเฅ เคฎเคนเคคเฅเคตเคชเฅเคฐเฅเคฃ เคฏเคน เคนเฅ เคเคฟ เคเคธ เคถเคฐเฅเคฎเคพเคจเคพเค เคเคเคจเคพ เคเฅ เคฒเคฟเค เคฎเคพเคซเคผเฅ เคฎเคพเคเคเคจเฅ เคเฅ เคฒเคฟเค เคเคฌ เคฎเคนเคฟเคฒเคพ เคชเคนเคฒเคตเคพเคจเฅเค เคเฅ เคตเคฟเคฐเฅเคง เคชเฅเคฐเคฆเคฐเฅเคถเคจ เคเฅ เคฆเฅเคฐเคพเคจโฆ
โ Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 6, 2024
โVinesh 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
#WATCH | On Vinesh Phogatโs Olympics disqualification, Rashtriya Loktantrik Party MP Hanuman Beniwal says, โThe 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 beโฆ pic.twitter.com/YuhvZDWtnF
โ ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2024
โThe 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 investigatedโฆThe Sports ministerโs statement made in the House which mentioned how much money the govt has spent on the athletes, is an insult to the athletes.โ