Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over wrestlers’ protest and asked him if the price of “political gains” received from a “proclaimed Bahubali” exceeded the tears of nation’s daughters.

The Congress leader was reacting to the video of wrestler Vinesh Phogat going to return her Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards to PM Modi in protest against powerful BJP MP Brijbushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of sexually assaulting women wrestlers.

“For every daughter of the country, self-respect comes first, any other medal or honor comes after that. Today, did the price of ‘political benefits’ received from a ‘proclaimed Bahubali’ exceed the tears of these brave daughters?” he asked.

The Gandhi Scion said that a Prime Minister is the guardian of the country and that he was hurt to see such cruelty on his part.

“The Prime Minister is the guardian of the nation, it hurts to see such cruelty on his part,” he added.

देश की हर बेटी के लिये आत्मसम्मान पहले है, अन्य कोई भी पदक या सम्मान उसके बाद।

आज क्या एक ‘घोषित बाहुबली’ से मिलने वाले ‘राजनीतिक फायदे’ की कीमत इन बहादुर बेटियों के आंसुओं से अधिक हो गई?

प्रधानमंत्री राष्ट्र का अभिभावक होता है, उसकी ऐसी निष्ठुरता देख पीड़ा होती है। pic.twitter.com/XpoU6mY1w9

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 31, 2023

The reaction from the Congress leader came after Vinesh Phogat left her medals at a pavement near Delhi’s Kartavya Path. She wanted to return them to PM Modi but was stopped by the police midway.

Fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia, who had himself returned his Padma Shri award a few days ago, shared the video of Phogat walking at Kartavya Path with her awards.

“May this day not come in the life of any player. The women wrestlers of the country are going through the worst phase,” he wrote in the post on ‘X’, along with the video.

The development comes just four days after she announced her decision to return the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, country’s highest sporting honour, which she received in 2020, along with the Arjuna Award given to her earlier.

The announcement was made in a strongly worded open letter to Prime Minister Modi, in which she asked if women athletes are just meant for government ads?

”Do women athletes exist only to feature on government’s advertisements… are the protesting wrestlers traitors,” Phogat, who has been an active participant in wrestlers’ protest against the BJP MP, said.

“Those fancy flex boards with your advertisements have become old and Sakshi, too, has now retired. The exploiter has also said his dominance will continue and has indulged in very crude sloganeering. Just spare five minutes of your life and listen to the statements given by that man in the media, you will know what all he has done… What’s more serious is that he has forced many female wrestlers to step back. This is very scary,” she said in her letter.