BJP leader Babita Phogat has hit back at her cousin Vinesh Phogat, who is contesting from the Julana assembly seat after Vinesh criticised the BJP during her campaigning for the upcoming Haryana elections.
The wrestler-turned-politician had said, “This time Congress’ symbol of hand will act as a slap. On October 5, this slap will strike in Delhi.”
In response, Babita described Vinesh’s comments as “a statement of narrow mindset” and suggested she should rethink before using such words.
As the assembly elections approach, Babita has been actively engaging with party workers. Speaking to ANI, she mentioned that senior BJP leaders are guiding the workers on how to connect with the public and showcase the achievements of the BJP government. Babita expressed confidence that the BJP will secure victory in Haryana for the third consecutive time.
She also highlighted the importance of motivating party workers. “The job of the party is to motivate the workers, instil enthusiasm in them, and respected Biplab Dev ji has today instilled enthusiasm in all of us workers by giving us the mantra of victory,” she said. She added, “We will go among the people with the mantra of victory that he has given to all of us workers to form the Bharatiya Janata Party government for the third time.”
Regarding her cousin’s statement, Babita said, “I agree that such statements have been made with a very narrow mindset, but we should think about our words; we should reflect on them.”
Wrestler-turned-politician Vinesh Phogat had previously slammed the BJP government while campaigning for the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections. Running as a Congress candidate from the Julana constituency, Vinesh filed her nomination last week. She criticised the BJP for failing to respect the people of Haryana, saying, “We have to take revenge for unemployment and your insult that has prevailed for the past 10 years.”
Vinesh, who was a prominent figure in protests against BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh last year, joined the Congress party on September 6. She faces BJP candidate Captain Yogesh Bairagi in Julana, with votes to be counted on October 8. In the 2019 elections, the BJP won 40 seats while Congress secured 30.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
