Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP from West Bengal's Diamond Harbour constituency, Abhishek Banerjee, is facing online trolling for demanding a 'Bharat Ratna' or a Rajya Sabha nomination by the President for wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Wednesday.
Banerjee's demand followed Phogat's disqualification for being overweight during the morning weigh-in, despite her remarkable performance on Tuesday, where she defeated the previously unbeaten Japanese wrestler Yui Susaki in her first bout.
Phogat's disqualification shocked many in India. Politicians across various parties expressed support for Phogat, praising her spirit and performance.
Amid the outpouring of consoling messages from political leaders, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee called for either the 'Bharat Ratna' or a Rajya Sabha nomination for Phogat.
On X, the Diamond Harbour MP stated, "The government and opposition should reach a consensus and either award Vinesh Phogat the Bharat Ratna or nominate her for a President-nominated Rajya Sabha seat, acknowledging the extraordinary mettle she has demonstrated."
"This is the least we can do for her, considering the immense struggle she has faced. No medal can fully reflect her true mettle," he added.
Netizens' reaction
Some social media users disapproved of the idea of awarding Vinesh Phogat the Bharat Ratna or nominating her to the Rajya Sabha by the President.
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One X user mocked Abhishek Banerjee, saying, "You should make her the Chief Minister of West Bengal. Even we, who oppose the TMC party, would support you in this move."
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"Why can’t we make Vinesh Phogat the Chief Minister of West Bengal, the land of Maa Durga? Wouldn’t it be the best tribute to Nari Shakti? Also, given how things are going in Bengal politics, her wrestling skills would definitely come in handy," wrote another user.
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"Why only Bharat Ratna? Vinesh Phogat should be awarded the Nobel Prize or at least Made President of India," wrote a third user.
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"What a load of nonsense. She and her team didn’t carry out their tasks to perfection. Simple as. This isn’t even the first such disqualification for her. How many other sportsmen in India’s history have a Bharat Ratna just for displaying mettle? I am aware of her political fight and my deepest sympathies with her. But awarding her anything of that level will set a wrong precedent."
Vinesh announces retirement
A day after the agony of being disqualified from the Paris 2024 Olympics, Vinesh Phogat announced her retirement in a social media post early Thursday morning, leaving fans and supporters heartbroken.
