Days after Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia‘s meeting with Rahul Gandhi triggered speculation about a probable political plunge, the Olympic wrestlers joined the Indian National Congress on September 6. While news channels report that Vinesh will likely contest in the upcoming Haryana polls on October 5, the Congress has so far not made any announcement to that effect. 

Addressing a press conference, Vinesh said, “The Congress is ready to fight from the streets to the Parliament. I assure the people of the country that we stand with every woman who thinks she is helpless and without power. I tried my best to inspire little girls and women with my wrestling. If I had chosen to, I could have resigned from wrestling at Jantar Mantar. The whole country believed that I would because the BJP IT cell tried to prove that we are trouble makers, that we are finished, that we are ‘just doing politics’”.

She further added, “They said I don’t want to play in nationals, but I contested in the national championship. They said I don’t want to go in for the [Olympics] trials but I did. They said I didn’t want to compete in the Olympics, but I did and reached the finals. Unfortunately, after that, God wanted something else. The one thing I know is that even if you work hard it’s not always necessary that you will get exactly what you wanted. You can get the fruit of your labour in other ways. God has given me this opportunity to serve people of the country and I believe there is no deed more holy than that.”

Vinesh resigned from her job in the Indian Railways ahead of formally joining the Congress, after meeting party president Mallikarjun Kharge. 

At the press conference, Congress general secretary and Alappuzha MLA KC Venugopal said that Vinesh had received a show cause notice from the Railways authorities even after handing in her resignation. He alleged that the notice was sent based on “rumours” that Vinesh and Bajrang had already joined the Congress after their September 4 meeting with Rahul Gandhi which would have gone against the  government employee rules. 

“Is it a crime to take a photograph with the country’s Leader of Opposition? They [Vinesh and Bajrang] did not say that they had joined the Congress. The notice says that ‘there are news reports that you are going to contest in elections. You cannot do that as you are a government employee’. And an explanation has been sought from Vinesh,” he said.

Venugopal also expressed the Congress’ “happiness and pride” over Vinesh and Bajrang joining the Congress and added, “Now the Railways should know that the entire country is with these two athletes. Don’t play politics with such issues. Conduct the necessary formalities and release them.”

Venugopal further said, “We in the Congress and INDIA bloc leaders stood with them [Vinesh and Bajrang] for their genuine causes and their fight against the injustices that happened to them. Not only did they fight against injustice in their own field, they also stood with the farmers of this country. When the farmers’ protest took place, they stood with the farmers. They fought for the Agniveer. This is why the Congress is very proud to accept them into the party.” 

Vinesh and Bajrang were among the prominent Indian wrestlers leading the protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of multiple counts of sexual harassment. The protests, held at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi last year, were met with horrific police brutality. 

At the time of the protests, Vinesh had said that Brij Bhushan (also a BJP MP), had subjected her to mental harassment to the point she had struggled with suicidal ideation. Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president and veteran athlete PT Usha had, at the time, accused the protesting wrestlers of “tarnishing India’s image. 

It was in this backdrop that Vinesh made history at the 2024 Olympics, becoming the first Indian woman to qualify for the 50-kg freestyle finals, defeating Cuba’s Yusneylys Guzman and Japan’s hitherto unbeaten Yui Susaki. 

She was later disqualified after missing the weigh-in by a mere 100 grams on the day of the finals.