Refused Modi's call after Olympics setback: Vinesh Phogat

October 02, 2024 17:32

Former Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has claimed that she refused to speak with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after her disqualification from the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Phogat was disqualified ahead of her women's 50 kg freestyle final at the Paris Games in August.

Phogat is now a Congress candidate for the Julana seat in the Haryana assembly elections.

"The call had come (from PM) but I refused to speak," she said in an interview with The Lallantop.

'The call did not come directly to me but Indian officials who were there informed me that he (PM Modi) wanted to talk. I was ready. However, they put conditions -- no one from my team would be present, while two people from their side would record the conversation for social media," she added.

"I didn't want my emotions and hard work to be made fun of on social media. If he truly cared about athletes, he could have called without recording it, and I would have been grateful," she said, adding that she believes Modi's office imposed conditions to control the narrative.

"Maybe he knew 'if I speak to Vinesh she will ask about the last two years'. Maybe that's why I was instructed that there will be no phone from my side because they can edit (video) from their end but I will not edit. I will post the original video. So they denied," she claimed.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

LIVE! Kohli's restaurant gets notice over fire safety lapses

Govt tweaks poll rule to curb public inspection of...

Based on the recommendation of the Election Commission (EC), the Union law ministry on Friday amended Rule 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, to restrict the type of "papers" or documents open to public inspection.

'Pushpa 2' stampede: CM lambast 'inhuman' Allu Arjun

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has criticized Telugu actor Allu Arjun for attending the screening of 'Pushpa-2' despite police permission being denied. Reddy alleges that the actor continued to be present at the cinema hall...

TN temple refuses to return iPhone dropped in 'hundi'

As per the practises and tradition at the temples, any offerings made into the hundial directly goes into the account of the deity of that temple. Rules do not permit the administration to return the offerings back to the devotees, Babu...

Amid Ambedkar row, AAP declares scholarship for Dalits

In the run-up to the assembly elections in Delhi, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal announced an Ambedkar scholarship for free foreign education of the city's Dalit students. The scholarship is a response to the BJP's "insult" of Ambedkar,...