Just before the Lok Sabha elections, international boxer Vijender Singh switched allegiances from the Congress to the BJP on Wednesday. At the BJP headquarters in Delhi, Vijender joined the BJP in the presence of party National Secretary Vinod Tawde. A day before embracing BJP membership, Vijender, India's first Olympic boxing medalist, was endorsing the Congress and retweeting Rahul Gandhi's jibes at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Source: aajtak
Vijender once supported wrestlers questioning whether Sakshi Malik's retirement from wrestling would improve or tarnish India's global image. The sports industry is disheartened. Will parents now send their daughters to stadiums? Today, the same Vijender asserts that since the BJP came into power, there's significant respect afforded to athletes.
During his BJP induction, Vijender stated, 'I am joining BJP today. It feels like homecoming for me. After contesting the elections in 2019, it's good to be back. When we used to travel abroad for competitions, numerous incidents would happen at the airports. But since BJP is in power, athletes receive considerable respect. I hope to guide people correctly. I remain the same Vijender and will call out what is right or wrong.'
BJP targets Congress for alleged terror affiliations: Tawde
On Vijender's joining, BJP Secretary Tawde queried Rahul Gandhi's acceptance of support from SDPI, an organization linked to the banned PFI implicated for terrorist activities. 'Is this alignment with Congress's known affection for terror groups?' he questioned.
Source: aajtak
No image of Kharge in Congress's campaign?
Tawde highlighted a lack of Mallikarjun Kharge's presence in Congress's promotional material. 'Shouldn't the party president be visible in campaign imagery? Are you concerned that including these photos might hinder your votes?' he prompted.
He added, 'Vijender has joined us today. He is a distinguished athlete, sharing our vision of a developed India. We will utilize his presence in Haryana, Delhi, and UP.'
Vijender previously contested Lok Sabha elections as a Congress nominee
Vijender entered politics just before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, running on a Congress ticket from South Delhi. Though he lost to BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri, his fight in the electoral ring was marked by over 164,000 votes in his favor.
