Days after Bajrang Punia returned his Padma Shri to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen grappling with the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist, who has been at the forefront in the protests against BJP MP and former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

On Wednesday, Rahul shared pictures from his visit to the Virendra Akhara, with a caption hinting at the ongoing row over the election and the subsequent suspension of the WFI by the sports ministry.

“There is only one question – if these players, the daughters of India, have to leave the fight in their arena and fight for their rights and justice on the streets, then who will encourage their children to choose this path? These are innocent, straightforward and simple people from farmer families. Let them serve the Tricolour. Let them make India proud with full honour and respect,” the Congress MP said.

A three-member ad-hoc committee led by Wushu Association of India president Bhupinder Singh Bajwa, is currently in charge of handling the day-to-day affairs of the WFI.

Interestingly, Gandhi’s visit to one of Haryana’s most famous akhadas at Chhara, a nondescript farming village, where Punia began his journey, is the second such visit from the scions of the Gandhi family as his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra last week met Sakshi Malik at the wrestler’s residence, a day after the Rio Olympics bronze medallist announced her retirement from the sport in protest against the election of Brij Bhushan’s close aide Sanjay Singh as the WFI president.

Commenting on Rahul’s visit to the academy started by Virender Dalal in 1995, the coach said that the Congress MP spent time learning some of the famous moves like the dhobi pachaad and dhak before joining the grapplers for breakfast.

According to 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games gold medallist Deepak Punia, another product of the famed academy, Rahul dropped in to see the day-to-day activities of a wrestler, while also trying his hand at wrestling with both Bajrang and Deepak.

In return, the MP imparted a few jiu-jitsu locks to the wrestlers.

Bajrang also echoed the words of Deepak that Rahul came to see the daily activities of a wrestler, but going by the timing of the Congress MP’s visit, there could be something more than that meets the eye.

While Priyanka had openly accused the Centre of spreading “false news” about dissolving the WFI and alleged that its activities have been stopped to spread confusion and shelter a BJP MP who has been accused of sexual harassment by female wrestlers. Rahul, however, chose to keep the visit restricted mainly to his sporting activities.