Vinesh Phogat disqualification: Uproar in Rajya Sabha; Opposition wants to know ‘who’s behind it’ 

Vinesh Phogat disqualification from Olympics: Following the heartbreaking fate of wrestler Vinesh Phogat’s campaign at the Olympics 2024, the Opposition wanted to know who was behind this debacle. An uproar quickly ensued in the Upper House after which the Opposition party members walked out. 

Leader of Opposition and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wanted to raise the Phogat disqualification issue and wanted to know who was behind it. However, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar did not allow Kharge to raise the issue, leading to an uproar. 

TMC’s Derek O'Brien also stood up to raise some issues but was not allowed by Dhankar. He cautioned the TMC member and warned him of showing him the door next time. "You are shouting at the Chair. Your conduct is ugliest in the House. I condemn your actions,” he said. 

The uproar increased, after which the Opposition walked out. 

Expressing anguish on the conduct of the Opposition members, Dhankar too left the House for a while.  "For sometime I am not finding myself in a position to sit here...," Dhankar said, adding he was leaving the House "with a heavy heart".

Deputy Chairman Harivansh chaired the Zero Hour proceedings.           

This comes after fellow wrestler, Bajrang Punia, claimed that Phogat was made to face defeat. "Vinesh aap haari nahi, haraya gaya hai (you were not beaten but made to face defeat), for us you will always be a winner, you are not only the daughter of India but also the pride of India," Punia wrote on X. 

He had earlier lauded Phogat’s Olympics campaign, who was scheduled to take on American Sarah Ann Hildebrandt for the gold medal, had said that she was “crushed in her own country” in reference to the wrestlers’ protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh.

“Let me tell you one thing, This girl was kicked and crushed in her own country. This girl was dragged on the streets in her country. This girl is going to conquer the world but she lost to the system in this country," Punia had tweeted earlier. 

Punia and Phogat were among several other wrestlers who protested against Singh for allegedly sexually harassing women wrestlers. 

Phogat, who was disqualified from her final bout, due to an excess of 100 gm in her weight, posted on social media that she would retire from wrestling. In an emotional post, Phogat said that she lost and all her courage is broken.