Who was Sonali Phogat? Everything you want to know
In 2019, Sonali Phogat, a BJP leader, TikTok star, and actress, found herself embroiled in controversy for urging individuals to chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ during an election campaign. Additionally, a year later, she made headlines for hitting an officer with her slippers, which stirred up further criticism.
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Who Was Sonali Phogat?
Sonali Phogat was an Indian politician, actress, and social media personality who belonged to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She was born on December 21, 1980, in Bhutan, and grew up in Haryana, India.
Before entering politics, Sonali Phogat was an actress and model who appeared in various Hindi and Haryanvi language films and TV shows. She gained fame on social media platforms such as TikTok, where she had millions of followers. In 2016, she joined the BJP and contested the Assembly elections from the Adampur constituency in Haryana in 2019 but lost to the Indian National Congress (INC) candidate.
Sonali Phogat courted controversy on several occasions. In 2019, during an election campaign, she urged people to chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, which led to accusations of inciting communal hatred. A year later, in 2020, she was caught on camera hitting a government official with her slippers after he reportedly did not address her as ‘honorable’. The incident sparked widespread criticism, and she later apologized for her actions.
Sadly, Sonali Phogat passed away on February 4, 2021, reportedly due to suicide.
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About Her Career
After moving to Mumbai to pursue her career, Sonali Phogat ventured into acting and appeared in several Haryanvi movies alongside established actors such as Ravi Kishan and Jimmy Shergill. She also made appearances on television, playing Nawab Shah’s wife on the Zee TV series Amma and appearing in Ameet Choudhary’s web series “Story of Badmashgarh.”
In her political career, Sonali Phogat was no stranger to controversies, particularly during her 2019 campaign as the BJP candidate for the Adampur constituency in the Haryana Assembly elections. During a rally, she made headlines when she urged people to chant the slogan “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and labeled those who did not as Pakistanis. Despite apologizing later, she lost the election to Kuldeep Bishnoi.
Sonali Phogat also appeared as a wild card entrant on season 14 of Big Boss, hosted by Salman Khan. However, in June 2020, she found herself in another controversy when a viral video on social media showed her hitting a government officer with her slippers.
The most tragic event in Sonali Phogat’s life was the sudden death of her husband, Sanjay Phogat, in 2016. He was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a field near his farmhouse in Hisar.
The Controversies
Throughout her life, Sonali Phogat found herself embroiled in numerous controversies. One of the most notable controversies was the mysterious death of her husband, Sanjay Phogat, who died under suspicious circumstances at the age of 42 in his Haryana farmhouse.
Additionally, Sonali Phogat was arrested for slapping a government official in Hissar, accusing him of using derogatory language against her. Despite the controversies, Phogat remained an unconventional figure in politics and society, with a varied career that included calling for people to chant “Bharat Mata ki Jai” at political rallies and appearing on the reality show Big Boss.
Phogat joined the BJP in 2008, after starting her career as an anchor on Hisar Doordarshan. She was eventually appointed the National Vice President of the BJP’s women’s wing.
Developments on Phogat’s Death
Following her death, an autopsy was carried out on the body of Sonali Phogat on Thursday morning, with the consent of her family. The examination was conducted at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, and shortly after, the Anjuna police added the charge of murder to the case and arrested two suspects, Sudhir Sagwan and Sukhwinder Wasi.
Initially, the autopsy was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, but Phogat’s brother alleged that she was murdered by two of her associates, and the family would only agree to the procedure after an FIR was registered against them.
Meanwhile, Phogat’s funeral will be held at her farmhouse in Hisar, Haryana. Her mortal remains were transported to New Delhi by air ambulance on Wednesday evening and reached Hisar after midnight.
