- By Aashish Vashistha
- Thu, 21 Nov 2024 12:40 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A controversy has erupted in Haryana’s Julana after posters featuring the name of newly elected Congress MLA and former Olympian Vinesh Phogat began circulating on social media. The posters, which claimed Phogat’s absence from an Assembly session, quickly went viral, fueling the public and sparking outrage and widespread debate.
A poster featuring Phogat’s picture, labelled "Laapata Vidhayak" (Missing MLA), appeared in Julana. The poster humorously called on locals to report any sightings of her. The source of the poster remains unknown, though it has sparked speculation that it may have been created by either local residents or political opponents.
This comes after Phogat did not attend the four-day Haryana Assembly session that concluded on November 19. The Congress MLA had been campaigning for Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad, followed by election duties in Maharashtra.
Following her disqualification from the 50kg wrestling final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Phogat quit wrestling and contested the Haryana Assembly elections from Julana constituency. She defeated BJP’s Captain Yogesh Bairagi with a margin of over 6,000 votes, gaining a total of over 65,000 votes.
Phogat’s personal assistant, Sonu, clarified that she was appointed as a star campaigner by the Congress and tasked with campaigning in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Due to her hectic schedule, she couldn’t attend the assembly session. However, the concerns of the Julana constituency will still be given top priority and addressed, as reported by news agency IANS.
Phogat on Monday questioned the significance of the BJP slogan "Ek Hai Toh Safe Hai" (If we are united, we are safe), highlighting ongoing concerns about women's safety across the country. She made this remark during a press conference at Congress Bhavan in Pune, on the final day of the assembly election campaign.