Refused Modi's call after Olympics setback: Vinesh

New Delhi: Former Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has claimed that she refused to speak with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after her disqualification from the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Phogat was disqualified ahead of her women's 50 kg freestyle final at the Paris Games in August.

Phogat is now a Congress candidate for the Julana seat in the Haryana assembly elections.

"The call had come (from PM) but I refused to speak," she said in an interview with The Lallantop.

'The call did not come directly to me but Indian officials who were there informed me that he (PM Modi) wanted to talk. I was ready. However, they put conditions -- no one from my team would be present, while two people from their side would record the conversation for social media," she added.

"I didn't want my emotions and hard work to be made fun of on social media. If he truly cared about athletes, he could have called without recording it, and I would have been grateful," she said, adding that she believes Modi's office imposed conditions to control the narrative.