Bajrang Punia slams Brij Bhushan over remarks on Vinesh Phogat’s Olympic disqualification

 Olympic bronze medallist and Congress leader Bajrang Punia has strongly criticized former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh after Singh claimed that wrestler Vinesh Phogat “deserved to be disqualified” from the Paris Olympics. Singh, a former BJP MP, questioned the integrity of both Punia and Phogat in a recent interview.

Singh accused Phogat of unfairly participating in trials for two weight categories in the Asian Games and alleged that she had cheated, stating, "God has punished you for the same." Punia, speaking to the media hit back, saying Singh’s comments reveal his mentality towards Indian athletes. “It was not Vinesh’s medal, it was the medal of 140 crore Indians.”

"Those who celebrated Vinesh’s disqualification, are they deshbhakts? We are fighting for the country since childhood, and they dare to teach us patriotism. They are molesting girls," Punia stated.  

Both Punia and Phogat joined the Congress party on Friday, with Phogat being announced as the party’s candidate for the Julana constituency in the upcoming Haryana assembly elections.