Haryana : Wrestler Babita Phogat resigned from the post on Wednesday ( October 7) just over two months after she was appointed as deputy director in Haryana’s Sports and Youth Affairs Department, saying she wants to pursue active politics.
“Yes, I have resigned from the post of deputy director sports, Haryana. I had accepted the appointment letter in July early this year when the Haryana Sports and Youth Affairs ministry offered me the post. After contemplating over the issue, I have decided to resign as I want to pursue active politics. As my party wants, I will be campaigning in the upcoming Baroda by poll in Haryana and Bihar Assembly elections,” Phogat told the source.
After the death of major opponent Congress’ Shri Krishan Hooda in April, Baroda Assembly seat had been remained vacant, now going to elect on November 7.
The wrestler had joined BJP last year in August along with her father Mahavir Phogat, had unsuccessfully contested the Haryana assembly elections last year for BJP from Charkhi Dadri assembly seat. At that time, Phogat had resigned from the post of Sub-inspector with Haryana Police to contest the elections.
2014 Commonwealth games gold medalist and 2018 CWG silver medalist wrestler, Phogat, in her resignation to the principal secretary of the Haryana Sports and Youth Affairs Department stated “unavoidable reasons to continue as deputy director, sports” and requested to consider the letter as one month notice as per the rules stated in her appointment letter.
Phogat, who was earlier appointed as sub-inspector with Haryana Police under sports quota, in 2018 had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking appointment as DSP. The two-time Commonwealth Games medallist had sought the appointment based on her achievements at the international level including a bronze medal in the 2012 World Championships. But she withdrew the petition in July last year, two months before the Haryana elections. Even though she lost to independent candidate Somvir Sangwan, Phogat remained active for BJP in the state.
The rival leaders threw questions to Haryana government’s move to first appoint Phogat as sports deputy director and now about her resignation.
“My first question to the state government is that why was Babita Phogat appointed on the first place when she became BJP member in August last year and also contested the assembly elections? Did she become a BJP leader today after resigning? We don’t want to belittle her medal winning performances but the appointment was done randomly and even after joining the post, she had been attending BJP programmes. She is saying that she resigned as she wants to pursue active politics. When was she out of politics,” asked Haryana congress spokesperson Ved Prakash Vidrohi.
Senior congress leader and Tosham MLA Kiran Choudhry too questioned the state government on this matter.
“This government has been modifying or making their own rules and the public too understands their tactics. Why should other medalists wait for getting jobs in the state? The public have got to know such steps by the BJP government and the result will be there to see in the Baroda by polls,” said Choudhry.
