Rahul Gandhi's 'Bahubali' barb at PM Modi over Vinesh Phogat returning awards

Listen to Story Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over two time World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat's decision to return her Khel Ratna and Arjuna awards. The move came amid a controversy surrounding the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) involving former chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh.

On Saturday, Vinesh Phogat left her Arjuna and Khel Ratna awards on the pavement of Kartavya Path in Delhi before being stopped by the police while she was on her way to PM Modi's residence. She had decided to return her awards as a mark of protest over the election of Sanjay Singh, an aide of Brij Bhushan Singh, as the WFI president.

In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi said that self respect comes first "for every daughter of the country and any other medal or honour comes after that". "Today, did the cost of 'political gains' received from a 'proclaimed Bahubali' become greater than the tears of these brave daughters? The Prime Minister is the guardian of the nation.

It is hurt to see such insensitivity on his part," he wrote on X in Hindi. In the same tweet, the Congress leader posted a video of Vinesh Phogat being stopped by police in Kartavya Path while she was on her way to meet PM Modi. She had kept her Arjuna and Khel Ratna awards on the pavement of the road.

Vinesh Phogat, in a letter, had said she would be returning her Arjuna and Khel Ratna awards, expressing disappointment over female wrestlers not getting justice. This came after top wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshee Malikkh and Bajrang Punia, after several female wrestlers accused the former WFI chief of sexual harassment..