'Don't want to talk about joining politics', says Vinesh Phogat as she attends farmers' protest at Sambhu border
Many speculated that Vinesh Phogat's presence at the venue where farmers have been protesting since February 13, demanding a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP), is a sign of her entry into politics.
Indian Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat has refused to rule out her entry into politics but said that she doesn't want to talk about it. Phogat was responding to a question about the likelihood of her contesting the upcoming Assembly elections in Haryana.
CREDIT: PTI
'Came here for farmers'
On Saturday, Phogat, who visited the Shambu border where a group of farmers had been protesting for 200 days, said that she was not concerned about elections, but the welfare of farmers.
¡°I don't want to talk about it. I have come to meet my family members (farmers) and if you spin it, their fight and struggle will be wasted. The focus shouldn't be on me, but on the farming community. I am a sportsperson and a citizen of India; elections are not my concern. My only focus is on the welfare of farmers,¡± Phogat said.
#WATCH | Wrestler Vinesh Phogat arrives at the farmers' protest site at Shambhu border, as the agitation completes 200 days.
¡ª ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2024
She says, "It has been 200 days since they are sitting here. It is painful to see this. All of them are citizens of this country. Farmers run the¡ pic.twitter.com/MJo9XEqpko
Suspense over Vinesh's political entry
Ever since Phogat's controversial disqualification from the finals of the Paris Olympics, there has been speculation on what her next move could be.
While Phogat had announced her retirement from wrestling soon after she was disqualified for being overweight, she has since sent mixed messages about competing in yet another Olympics.
Also read: Mahavir Phogat wants Vinesh to compete in 2028 Olympics, says 'will try talking to her'
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat arrives at the "Farmers Protest" site at the Shambu Border as the agitation completes 200 days. pic.twitter.com/ptiPtHYSqE
¡ª Akashdeep Thind (@thind_akashdeep) August 31, 2024
Many on social media speculated that her presence at the venue where farmers have been protesting since February 13, demanding a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP), is a sign of her entry into politics.
?? ????? ?????? 2 ?? 200 ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ???? #Vinesh_Phogat ???? ?????? ?? ??????..#FarmersProtest #KisanAndolan2@somvir_rathee @Phogat_Vinesh @BajrangPunia @SakshiMalik @ravishndtv pic.twitter.com/drFVeKhoUz
¡ª Tejveer Singh, ?????? ???? (@Tveer_13) August 31, 2024
What Vinesh said about farmers' protest
"I want to tell you that your daughter is with you," Phogat said while addressing the farmers.
"Sometimes we feel helpless at not being able to do anything for them. We represent the country at international levels but we could not do anything for our own family. It is a request that the government should listen to them," she later told the media.
For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
Read More
