'Would Have Been Patriots If We Had Joined BJP': Wrestler Bajrang Punia

Picture source: ANI

New Delhi: Olympian Bajrang Punia who is now the working President of the Kisan Congress on Sunday alleged double standards from the BJP, saying that had he and Vinesh Phogat joined the BJP they would have been hailed as 'patriots' but are now labelled 'anti-nationals' for aligning with the opposition. 

Punia expressed confidence that, as a farmer's son, he would raise the concerns of the farmers in a better way. 

"I am an athlete and a son of a farmer, as per the responsibility given by the party, I think I can raise concerns of the farmers in a better way... Brijbhushan and BJP have a problem (that we joined Congress). We would have become patriots if we had joined the BJP, but because we have joined the Congress, they are calling us anti-nationals. We are with our leader Rahul Gandhi and his struggle. He is raising the voice of all sections, be it farmers, youth or athletes," he said. 

Punia further challenged CM Nayab Singh Saini to contest the Haryana Polls from Julana. 

"(If defeating Vinesh Phogat is easy) then why is Nayab Singh Saini searching for a safe seat for himself? If he thinks that anyone can defeat Vinesh Phogat, then ask him to contest from Julana... He is welcome to contest from Julana. He is the CM of the state and he can do anything... If the BJP has a problem with the (Congress-AAP) alliance, then why are they in alliance at the centre? They have 240 (seats). They should sit in the opposition... We are moving ahead with the INDIA Alliance parties with strength... If they (the BJP) are against the alliance, then they should also sit in opposition," he said. 

Meanwhile, just two days after joining the Congress party, Vinesh started her election campaign in the Jind region of Haryana on Sunday. 

On Friday, Phogat and wrestler Bajrang Punia joined Congress just one month before the Haryana Assembly Elections. 
Within hours of joining the party, Phogat was fielded as a party candidate from the Julana Assembly Constituency. Whereas Punia was appointed as the working president of the All India Kisan Congress. 

Punia won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, while Vinesh Phogat became the first woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final in Paris last month. The wrestlers resigned from their respective positions in Northern Railways earlier on that day. 

The voting for the 90-member legislative assembly in Haryana will be held on October 5 and the last date for filing nominations is September 12. The counting of votes will be held on October 8.