Ambala: BJP leader and party's candidate from Ambala assembly constituency, Anil Vij, downplayed the wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joining the Congress party on Friday and said that "anyone can join any party."
Speaking to reporters in Haryana's Ambala on Friday, Vij said, "Anyone can join any party. We don't have any say in it."
Phogat and Bajrag Punia joined the Congress party on Friday in the presence of Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, party leader Pawan Khera, Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan and AICC in-charge of Haryana, Deepak Babaria.
Also Read: https://www.thehawk.in/posts/vinesh-phogat-bajrang-punia-formally-join-congressÂ
Wrestler Vinesh Phogat said that the Congress party "understood their pain and tears" when they faced police action during the protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar last year and also said that all parties except the BJP supported them.
Both the top wrestlers were part of protests by wrestlers over sexual harassment allegations against former BJP MP and then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh last year.
The development comes ahead of polling for 90-member Haryana Assembly scheduled for October 5, with counting of votes scheduled on October 8.
—ANI