Bajrang Punia

Farmers resumed their march to Delhi on Saturday, marking their third attempt to enter the capital to urge the government for numerous demands.

Bajrang Punia, a Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist, is at the center of a doping controversy.

Olympic medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia on Sunday attacked Haryana Chief Minister and BJP leader Nayab Singh Saini for claiming that it would not be too difficult for any candidate to beat Vinesh Phogat in Haryana Assembly elections.

Former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh, against whom wrestlers had levelled sexual harassment allegations, claimed that Olympian wrestler Vinesh Phogat "deserved" whatever happened to her, after she joined Congress.

Tokyo Olympics Bronze medallist and newly inducted Congress member Bajrang Punia on Saturday slammed the BJP and its leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and said they are still trying to break the soldiers. Speaking exclusively to India Today's sister channel Aajtak, Punia said, "They are still trying to break the wrestlers. Wherever we go, we fight for our flag and our country. "Brij Bhushan Singh is a history sheeter, with charges from theft to sedition. The BJP is supporting him. I have no hopes from PM Modi now. Agencies were used against me; I was banned on dope charges. I have no expectations from the WFI President,” he said. Phogat and Punia had been part of the wrestlers' protests against Singh in 2023, which led to his eventual trial for sexual harassment. Singh has denied the allegations and claimed that he was not present in Delhi on the day of the incident.

Former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Saturday hit out at Olympians Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, saying that their protest against him was politically motivated. Speaking to news agency ANI, the former WFI also accused Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat of cheating to attend the games. He claimed that Phogat could not win a medal because God had punished her.

As wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia join the Congress ahead of the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections, we raise these questions.-- can wrestlers land a knockout punch? Is Congress in pole position?

In this week's edition of the Political Stock Exchange, the focus is on Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia joining Congress ahead of the Haryana poll and what impact it could have on the Assembly elections in the state.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday unveiled the BJP's manifesto for the upcoming assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir.

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who joined Congress along with Bajrang Punia on Friday, is likely to contest Haryana Assembly elections from the Julana seat, according to sources.

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who joined Congress along with fellow Wrestler Bajrang Punia on Friday, said that she was proud to join a party that stands with women. 

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia on Friday joined the Congress ahead of the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections in the presence of senior party leader KC Venugopal and others in Delhi.

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia are set to join the Congress on Friday ahead of the Haryana Assembly polls. Before joining the Congress, both the Olympians met party chief Mallikarjun Kharge at the latter's official residence in the national capital. "Both Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat will join the party on Friday. Whether one of them will contest or both would contest would become clear soon," a sources said while speaking on the issue.

Olympics bronze medalist Bajrang Punia and wrestler Vinesh Phogat will be joining the India National Congress today, ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections. The development comes mere days after the two wrestlers met with the party's leader, Rahul Gandhi, in New Delhi. According to sources, deliberations are on to finalise the seats for the two wrestlers with Julana and Badli seats under consideration for Phogat and Punia respectively. Punia is a Tokyo Games bronze medallist, while Phogat became the first woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final, the stage where she was disqualified after being found over weight by about 100 gm in her 50-kg category weigh-in. She subsequently announced her retirement from the sport.

Tokyo Games bronze medallist wrestler Bajrang Punia hailed Vinesh Phogat's performance in the Paris Games and said it's a big slap on the face of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met Bajrang Puni and other wrestlers in Haryana in the wake of protest over the new chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and the Sports Ministry's subsequent suspension of the federation's newly-elected body. During his visit, he also practised wrestling with Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met the country's prominent wrestlers, including Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Poonia, at a gathering in Haryana's Jhajjar district. The meeting comes amid several wrestlers returning their awards to protest the election results of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). Sanjay Singh, an aide of BJP MP and former wrestling boss Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was elected president of WFI. Meanwhile, a thick blanket of fog covered parts of Delhi-NCR on Wednesday morning, leading to visibility dropping to almost zero.

The big talking point of this episode of News Today is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's outreach to the Sikh community.

The new Wrestling Federation of India body, under the leadership of Sanjay Singh, has been suspended by the Sports Ministry. The ministry announced its decision on Sunday, December 24, citing that the WFI body had shown complete disregard for the existing rules and regulations. In an official release, the Sports Ministry said that the announcement for national competitions was hasty, and that due process was not followed. Reacting to this, top athletes including Sakshee Malikkh, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat welcomed the decision, calling it the "first step for the betterment of wrestlers".

Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh attended a press conference after the Sports Ministry suspended the Sanjay Singh-led Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) body.