Chandigarh: BJP leader and wrestler Babita Phogat has accused former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Hooda of causing a rift in the family by making her cousin Vinesh join the Congress recently. Also an ace wrestler, Vinesh Phogat joined the Congress last week, after announcing her retirement from the sport.
Speaking to India Today, Babita Phogat said that Vinesh took a hasty decision by deciding to join the Congress. Accusing Hooda of creating a rift in the family, she said that the people of Haryana would “teach a lesson” to him. Targeting the Congress the wrestler-turned-politician further said that the party’s agenda has always been to divide and rule and added that it has worked to break families.
‘Vinesh should have followed Mahavir Phogat’s advice’
Babita further said that Vinesh should have followed the advice of her uncle Mahavir Phogat, who is also her guru. “Vinesh should have obeyed her guru. A Guru is one who always shows the right path.” Supporting her father Mahavir Phogat’s previous remarks, the BJP leader said that Vinesh should not have retired from the sport and instead should have prepared for the 2028 Olympics. If she had remained focussed, Vinesh could have won gold in the next Olympics, Babita added further.
Mahavir Phogat expresses disappointment
Earlier, Mahavir Phogat expressed his disappointment over Vinesh’s decision and said she could have postponed it until the next Olympics and focused on winning a gold medal for India at the event. Speaking to ANI, he had said that the people of the country gave her immense to Vinesh and they had expected Gold from her. “People were disheartened. The decision that she has taken, I am saddened by it that she had joined politics. But she could have taken this decision after the 2028 Olympics, it would have been better,” Mahavir Phogat the agency quoted him as saying.
Last week Vinesh Phogat announced her decision to retire from wrestling and join the Congress. The party has given her a ticket to contest from the Julna constituency in the upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana. While the elections will be held on October 5, results will be announced on October 8.