“Enough With Calls…”: Rahul Gandhi Jabs PM Over Tokyo Heroes’ Old Posts

New Delhi:

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has reacted sharply to media stories that a few of India’s athletes – together with those that received medals on the Tokyo Olympics – have but to obtain money rewards promised for medals received at different aggressive meets – such because the 2018 Asian Video games.

Mr Gandhi additionally hit out at political leaders speeding to congratulate athletes in video calls – seen by many as a reference to Prime Minister Modi, who held video calls with a number of of the medal winners – and mentioned it was as essential to pay the athletes their “dues” because it was to supply congratulations.

“Gamers ought to get their dues with the congratulations… not cuts within the sports activities budgets,” he wrote on Instagram right this moment, including, “Sufficient with the video calls… now hand out the reward quantities!”

Hooked up to his put up was the cut-out of a report filed by The Instances of India final month – titled “4 years on, Haryana Olympians await cash rewards“. The article quoted athlete’s kinfolk – together with those that went to Tokyo as medal hopes – as saying that lakhs in promised money rewards remained unpaid.

Additionally connected have been screenshots of tweets made in 2019 by Tokyo heroes Neeraj Chopra – who received India’s first ever gold in a track-and-field event – and Bajrang Punia, who won bronze in wrestling.

On June 26, 2019, Bajrang Punia had tweeted: “Once you promise rewards to the gamers, then you definately promise to help the gamers, not the greed of cash, however the gamers. If you cannot fulfill your promise then what ought to any participant anticipate from you in future!”

Wrestler Bajrang Punia received a bronze medal on the Tokyo Olypmics

The tweet – by which Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar and Dwelling Minister Anil Vij have been tagged – contained a screenshot of a 2018 tweet by Mr Vij that promised Rs 3 crore as money reward for Mr Punia for successful a gold medal on the Asian Video games that yr.

Mr Punia had overwhelmed Daichi Takatani of Japan within the closing of the boys’s freestyle wrestling (65 kg).

जब खिलाड़ीयो को आप पुरस्कार का वायदे करते है तब ऊन खिलाड़ीयो को आप ने पैसे का लालच नहीं बल्कि खिलाड़ियों का साथ देने का वायदा करते हैं । अगर आप अपने किये वायदे को पूरा नहीं कर सकते तो फिर भविष्य मे कोई भी खिलाड़ी आप से किस बात की उम्मीद रखें!@anilvijminister @mlkhattarpic.twitter.com/CxX7JK9Ez1

— Bajrang Punia ???????? (@BajrangPunia) June 26, 2019

Hours later Neeraj Chopra retweeted that message, including: “Sir, once we come after successful medals, the entire nation is completely satisfied… and also you proudly say we’re from Haryana. The sportspersons of Haryana have left their mark on this planet of sports activities… Let this persevere.”

“And please fulfill what you promised (to provide prize cash to the participant) so we are able to divert our consideration from these items and focus our full consideration on the upcoming Olympic Video games and may illuminate the title of our nation and state.”

ओर आपने जो खिलाड़ियों को इनाम राशि देने का वादा किया था कृपया उसे पूरा करे ताकि हम इन चीज़ों से ध्यान हटा के अपना पूरा focus आने वाले Olympic खेलो पर लगा सके ओर अपने देश व राज्य का नाम रोशन कर सके ????

— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) June 26, 2019

Mr Chopra received gold within the males’s javelin throw on the similar occasion – setting a brand new Nationwide Document and claiming India’s first Asian Video games gold in that sport.

Neeraj Chopra received a gold medal in males’s javelin throw occasion

Mr Gandhi’s criticism comes as states, together with these like Punjab, the place the Congress is in energy, announce large money prizes for athletes successful (and competing) within the Olympics.

Neeraj Chopra has been promised Rs 6 crore by the Haryana authorities, which has additionally promised Rs 2.5 crore to Bajrang Punia and two members of the men’s bronze-winning hockey team.

Nevertheless, information of the money rewards has been met with scepticism by some, who haven’t solely pointed to the truth that these similar athletes have but to obtain promised rewards for earlier triumphs, but additionally that their medal wins come regardless of the union price range’s minimize in sports activities funding.

In February the federal government introduced a Rs 230.78 crore cut in the country’s sports budget – which many, because the athlete’s exploits in Tokyo, have identified was in an Olympic yr.

The federal government had mentioned this was as a result of “hardly any exercise” due to the lockdown.