Manu Bhaker will now get the promised Rs 2 crore.Haryana Sports Minister Anil Vij chided teenage shooting sensation Manu Bhaker on Saturday, telling her that she should “feel sorry” for going public with her grievances over cash award. Vij, however, clarified that Bhaker would get Rs 2 crores for her 2018 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) gold medal as originally promised and not Rs 1 crore as mentioned in a recent official notification that prompted an outburst from the markswoman on social media.
The Haryana state government went on the back foot on Friday when Bhaker posted on twitter the revised notification, issued by principal secretary (sports) Ashok Khemka on December 27, that halved the prize money she was supposed to get.
On the same platform, Bhaker then asked Sports Minister Vij if his original Rs 2 crore promise in October was “correct…Or just a jumla”.
On Saturday, Vij fired a series of tweets rebuking the youngster, saying it was “disgusting to denounce” the state government.
“Manu Bhaker should have first confirmed it from the Sports Deptt. before going to public domain. It is disgusting to denounce a State Govt which is giving highest awards in the Country. Bhaker will will will get 2 crores as tweated (sic) by me and as per notification at that time.
“There should be some sense of discipline in players. Bhaker should feel sorry for creating this controversy. She has a long way to go. She should focus on her game only…We have increased Prize money from 10 lakh which was being given in previous Congress Govt. to Rs 2 crores for this event…”
When contacted, Manu’s father Ramkishan Bhaker said, “Such situation should not have arisen.” According to news channel Republic TV, he did try to contact the Department of Sports as well as the minister. “But we always got the answer that the minister is not around or is busy and we’ll see tomorrow,” he was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, the Indian Olympic Association President Narinder Batra threw his weight behind Bhaker and said that it was the minister who needed to apologise to the athlete for his handling of the situation.
“Haryana Government, request please pay up to the athlete what your minister Anil Vij announced on social media,” Batra wrote on his Facebook page. “Mr Anil Vij Hon’ble Sports Minister Government of Haryana, request please stop intimidating and threatening the Athlete to apologise for your publicity seeking jumla politics, it is you (Anil Vij) who should apologise from the Athlete for the mess you have made,” he wrote.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, too, criticised Vij. “The government, especially Vij, should issue apology for this situation. The government should give award money to the players as per its promise otherwise it will demorlise them and Haryana’s achievements may fall in sports,” said Hooda.
Other opposition parties have also criticised the government, alleging that “it was insulting the players”.
