Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann who visited the star wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s family at her native village in Charkhi Dadri district of Haryana on Wednesday in the backdrop of the decision against her before the final bout at the Paris Olympics, expressed shock as to why did not the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) did not object to her disqualification.
Mann, who was in poll-bound Haryana to hold election rally, said that Vinesh had made it to the finals by defeating three top grapplers in one day and defeated the defending champion in the first match, and rued that IOA officials should have expressed strong protest on this issue.
I do not want to link it with politics…But tell me our IOA members, who have gone there, for what work they have gone... Why did they not raise this issue and should have asked for one more chance, he asked expressing surprise over the developments. We want to become 'Vishwa Guru', but the IOA did not raise an objection even for once, he said.
Stating that a similar case happened in hockey also, where among all the countries, only the Indian player got a red card. ``The country's Prime Minister Modi ji stopped the war in Ukraine, but did not stand with the players. He did not congratulate Vinesh Phogat for reaching the final, but tweeted about her disqualification. This shows their seriousness’’, Mann alleged.
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Haryana Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) senior vice president Anurag Dhanda who accompanied Mann said that Vinesh Phogat was a star yesterday, is a star today and will be a star even tomorrow.
Alleging that there has been a conspiracy against the daughter who made the country proud, he held that today the entire country stands with her family.
`CONSPIRACY', ALLEGE HARYANA CONG LEADERS
Meanwhile, reacting over the sequence of events, the former two-term chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that it was a very unfortunate decision. Vinesh is a very good player, the decision against her should be challenged and the matter should be investigated. I feel that there is a conspiracy behind it, he said.
Another senior Congress leader and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja said that it was surprising that why did Vinesh’s coaching staff not take the matter seriously? The Indian government and the IOA need to answer as to how such things can happen at this level.
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Congress MP and former Haryana minister Randeep Surjewala took to X and called this day a black day in the sports history of India, holding that that is a huge ``hate conspiracy’’ and the country is shocked.
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