Campaigning for Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday made an emotional appeal to women voters in Julana sharing personal stories from her visit to a farmer’s home and lauded the determination of Haryana’s girls and Phogat’s unwavering resilience.
Priyanka Gandhi’s speech centered around the strength and determination of Haryana’s daughters, emphasizing the resilience embodied by Vinesh Phogat. Gandhi shared emotional stories about her personal experiences in Haryana, recounting an eight-year-old encounter with a farmer’s family, which, she said, reflected the hospitality and warmth of the state’s people.
“I spent hours at their home, and they welcomed me as their own daughter. This is the culture of Haryana – a culture of love, warmth, and immense strength,” Gandhi remarked, drawing applause from the audience.
She further emphasised the grit and determination of Haryana’s girls by narrating an incident involving her daughter during a basketball tournament, where the team captain from rural Haryana played despite being severely ill. “This is the spirit of Haryana’s daughters – unwavering, resilient, and determined,” she said, linking it to Phogat’s indomitable spirit both on and off the wrestling mat.
Turning her focus to Phogat, the Congress general secretary praised the wrestler for her courage and resilience in the face of adversity, particularly during the farmers’ protests and the protest by wrestlers against former BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
She recalled how Phogat was dragged by the police on Delhi’s streets during the protests but never lost her determination. “Vinesh stood tall even after being humiliated, just like she did in the Olympics. When she asked me about joining politics, I told her it’s not just for her, but for all the women of Haryana,” Gandhi stated.
In a scathing critique of the Modi government, Priyanka Gandhi slammed the Prime Minister accusing him of betraying the farmers during the farm laws protests, accusing him of working for big corporate interests rather than the farmers. “Even after the death of 750 farmers the union government did not accept their demands but the demands were suddenly withdrawn ahead of UP elections,” she added.
Priyanka also slammed BJP led Haryana government’s claims of procuring all 24 crops on MSP saying that 10 crops out of 24 notified crops were not even grown in Haryana.
She also attacked the Agnipath scheme, labelling it a betrayal of the country’s youth, stating that “Modi ji’s government has left our youth in uncertainty after four years of service, forcing them to search for jobs again.”
Vinesh Phogat, who is making her political debut from the Julana constituency, echoed Gandhi’s sentiments during her speech. Phogat recounted her journey, from feeling shattered after the protests against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to being motivated by Priyanka Gandhi to continue her fight. “When I felt like leaving the country, Didi [Priyanka Gandhi] reminded me that this nation is there to share my pain. She told me that this country would give me love just as it did for her,” Phogat shared emotionally.
Phogat pledged to fight for justice for the people of Haryana, particularly its women, adding, “The ups and downs will continue, but with leaders like Priyanka Gandhi by our side, we will never be alone. Congress is my family, and I am here to return the love you have shown me.”
Priyanka also campaigned for Pradeep Narwal, the Congress candidate from Bawani Khera, further underlining the party’s push to connect emotionally with Haryana’s voters. With the state heading to polls soon, the stakes are high for all parties, but Gandhi’s emotional outreach and Phogat’s story of resilience seem to have struck a powerful chord in Julana.
Haryana prepares for its assembly elections, Julana will witness a tough contest, with Phogat pitted against AAP’s Kavita Rani, Indian National Lok Dal’s Surender Lather, BJP’s Captain Yogesh Kumar Bairagi, and Jannayak Janata Party’s sitting MLA, Amarjeet Dhanda. The outcome here will be crucial in determining the direction of Haryana’s political landscape.
Tight security for elections
GURUGRAM: The security has been tightened in Haryana ahead of the assembly election. 225 paramilitary companies and 60,000 security personnel have been deployed, said an official. According to DGP Haryana, 11,000 SPOs (Special Police Officers) are also stationed ahead of the elections.
