Members of the Opposition INDIA bloc on Thursday walked out of the Rajya Sabha after their demand for a discussion on the disqualification of wrestler Vinesh Phogat from the 2024 Paris Olympic was rejected by Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House, had sought a discussion on Phogat’s disqualification, saying it was important to know who was responsible for the incident.
However, Dhankar rejected the demand and said that he will “not allow the House to be used as such a platform”.
On Wednesday, Phogat, who was competing in the women’s 50-kg category in the wrestling event in Paris, was judged to have been overweight by 100 grams and was subsequently disqualified ahead of the final later in the day. This came a day after Phogat became the first Indian woman to reach the final of a wrestling event at the Olympics.
Phogat had made the weight when her campaign began. However, according to the rules, wrestlers have to maintain that weight over the course of the two competition days.
In the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Dhankar told Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien not to lower the dignity of the House after he too stood up to demand a discussion.
“Your [O’Brien] conduct is the ugliest in the House,” the chairperson said. “I condemn your action. Next time I will show you the door. You cannot shout at the desk.”
Amid increasing ruckus, the Opposition members walked out of the Rajya Sabha.
“They [the Opposition] think they are the only ones whose hearts are bleeding,” Dhankar remarked soon after the walkout. “The entire nation is feeling the pain, right from the president, the prime minister, to myself… To politicise the issue is the greatest disrespect to the girl [Phogat]. She has a long way to go.”
Outside the Rajya Sabha, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari told reporters that the Opposition walked out because the government was not ready to hold a discussion on Phogat’s disqualification, India Today reported.
The Opposition had walked out of the the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday as well, after Dhankhar denied them the permission to discuss the matter. They had walked out of the Lok Sabha too.
On Wednesday, Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya told Parliament that the Indian Olympic Association had lodged a protest with wrestling’s global governing body against Phogat’s disqualification.
The Indian Olympic Association manages the country’s athlete contingent at the Olympic Games.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to PT Usha, the chief of the Indian Olympic Association, and asked her to take necessary action in the matter, the minister told Parliament.
Also read: Explained: Why Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from Olympics wrestling gold medal match
Hours after her disqualification, Phogat announced her retirement from the sport.
“Wrestling won against me, I lost,” Phogat said on social media. “Forgive me, your dream, my courage is all broken, I don’t have any more strength now.
“Goodbye wrestling 2001-2024. I’ll forever be indebted to you. Forgive me,” she added.
Phogat, along with other wrestlers including Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, were at the forefront of the protests against former Wrestling Federation of India chief and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh since January 2023 after he was accused of sexually abusing athletes.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!