Bhupinder Hooda says would have sent Vinesh to RS if Cong had numbers in Haryana

Chandigarh/New Delhi, Aug 8 (PTI) Political parties Thursday stood by Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat from Haryana, where assembly elections are round the corner, with Congress veteran Bhupinder Singh Hooda saying he would have nominated the grappler to Rajya Sabha if his party had the numbers in the assembly.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said his government will felicitate Phogat, who was disqualified from the Olympics for being overweight ahead of her gold medal bout in the 50 kg category, like a medallist and will be offered the same reward that the state gives to Olympic Games silver medallists.

Bhupinder Singh Hooda's son Deepender Hooda, a Lok Sabha MP, said one seat in Rajya Sabha from Haryana fell vacant after his election to the Lower House and Phogat should be nominated from it.

Vinesh Phogat's uncle Mahavir Phogat, however, termed it a political stunt.

"Today Bhupinder Hooda said he would have sent Vinesh to the Rajya Sabha if he could. Why did he not send Geeta Phogat when his government was there," he asked.

Geeta Phogat is Mahavir Phogat's daughter and Vinesh Phogat's cousin.

After a shocking exit before the gold medal bout Wednesday on being found 100 gm overweight, Vinesh Phogat bid adieu to her international wrestling career on Thursday, saying she did not have the strength to continue.

"To motivate her ... There are Rajya Sabha polls soon ... We don't have a majority, else I would have nominated her. She has made us all proud," Bhupinder Singh Hooda told reporters in Delhi.

Son Deepender Hooda said, "A Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana has fallen vacant as I have come to the Lok Sabha. The election notification has come. What Hooda sahab said today ... She should be given a Rajya Sabha seat. I urge all parties of Haryana to consider this." Dismissing the suggestion, Mahavir Phogat said, "Geeta Phogat set many records. When the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government was in power, he did not even make Geeta a deputy superintendent of police. How can Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda now claim this?" Earlier, Saini in a post on X said, "Our brave daughter of Haryana, Vinesh Phogat, performed brilliantly and entered the final of the Olympics. She might not have been able to compete in the final due to some reason but she is a champion for all of us." "Our government has decided that Vinesh Phogat will be welcomed and felicitated like a medallist. All the respect, reward and facilities that the Haryana government offers an Olympic silver medallist will be offered to Vinesh Phogat as well," he said in Hindi.

According to its sports policy, the Haryana government offers Rs 6 crore to gold medallists in the Olympic Games, Rs 4 crore to silver medallists and Rs 2.5 crore to bronze medal winners.

On Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met the family of Phogat in Charkhi Dadri.

Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee had demanded that Phogat should either be awarded the Bharat Ratna or nominated to Rajya Sabha by the President.

"The government and opposition should find a way to form a consensus and either award Vinesh Phogat the Bharat Ratna or nominate her to a President-nominated RS seat, acknowledging the extraordinary mettle she has demonstrated," Banerjee said in a post on X Wednesday. PTI AO CHS VSD ZMN