‘It is painful to see, urge government to listen...’: Vinesh Phogat joins protesting farmers at Shambhu border

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat on August 31 joined the protesting farmers at the Shambhu border and said “the country won’t progress, if people sit on streets like this”. The wrestler was also felicitated by farmer leaders as she arrived at their protest site at Shambhu border. 

The farmers have been camping for 200 days at the Shambhu border since they were stopped on their way to Delhi on February 13. They are demanding a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for their crops among other issues. 

Speaking from the spot, Phogat said, “It has been 200 days since they are sitting here. It is painful to see this. All of them are citizens of this country. Farmers run the country. Nothing is possible without them, not even athletes - if they don’t feed us, we won’t be able to compete. Many a time we are helpless and can’t do anything, we represent the country at such big levels but we can’t do anything for our family even when we see them sad.” 

“I urge the government that they should listen. They had admitted their mistake last time, they should fulfill the promises that they made. The country won't progress, if people sit on streets like this,” the wrestler said. 

Farmers have planned to gather in significant numbers to mark the completion of 200 days of their protest at Shambhu border on August 31. Protests are also planned to take place at the Khanauri and Ratanpura borders.  

With their protests continuing in the poll-bound Haryana, farmer groups have once again expressed their opposition to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), even as farmer collectives plan a series of mahapanchayats to raise awareness about these issues and pending demands.  

Haryana was a major centre of the 2020-21 farmers’ protests against the now-scrapped farm laws. The protest was held under the banner of the Smayukt Kisan Morcha.  

Last week, Phogat had met former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda at his residence in New Delhi fuelling speculation that the wrestler was likely to join Congress and contest the October 1 elections, the Indian Express reported. While Vinesh did not say anything, Hooda said whoeever comes to Congress, “we welcome them”, the report added.

In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the BJP, which had won all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana in the 2019 polls, lost five to the Congress. 

This time, while the Congress is challenging the BJP, the Aam Aadmi Party has also announced it will fight all 90 seats. This time, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has joined hands with BSP and Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), which was in alliance with BJP until March this year, among others. 

Elections to the 90-member Haryana assembly will be held on October 1 and results will be declared on October 4.