Felt proud when Xi Jinping told me he has seen 'Dangal': Modi at Haryana rally

As he pitched for wrestler Babita Phogat, the BJP candidate from the Dadri assembly seat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that Chinese President Xi Jinping has seen the movie based on her and her father.

Modi said he got to know this during the recent visit by Xi to Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu.

"Chinese president Xi Jinping during an informal meeting told me with a lot of pride that he has seen Dangal movie. He also told me that he saw in the movie what wonders daughters were capable of doing," Modi said.

Modi said these words from the Chinese president made him feel proud of Haryana.

"Mahre chhoree chhorion say kam hey ke (Are our girls any less than the boys?)" he said in Haryanvi, quoting a dialogue from the film.

Babita Phogat, 29, became a household name after Aamir Khan-starrer 'Dangal' (wrestling ring), a film about the struggle of her father and noted wrestling coach Mahavir Singh Phogat to train her and her sister Geeta, turned out to be a runaway hit.

Mahavir Phogat told PTI he was proud that the Chinese president liked the movie.

"It felt good when the prime minister talked about Dangal movie from the stage. When he said the Chinese president has seen and appreciated it, as a father I felt proud," he said.

"I feel proud of the fact that this movie has been widely appreciated not just by common people, but also by famous personalities," he said.

Mahavir Phogat recalled that last year his family was invited to a meeting with South Korean first lady Kim Jung-sook and a special screening of 'Dangal' was arranged there.

Babita Phogat is pitted against seasoned politicians like Satpal Sangwan of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) and Nirpender Singh Sangwan of the Congress. Both have won this seat earlier - by margins of less than 2,000 votes. Describing the girls of Haryana as 'dhakad', Modi said the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign would not have been successful without the support of the state's villages.

He said health, self-respect, security and empowerment of women have been the top priority of his government.

He highlighted schemes initiated by the BJP government for women and steps taken to make them financially independent.

"The BJP government is taking several steps to further expand the role of women in nation building," he said.

He said this Diwali should be dedicated to daughters who are making their families, society and country proud with their achievements.

Modi said people of southern Haryana have made contributions from farming to battlefield. "Unprecedented efforts are being made to encourage sports and sportspersons," he said referring to 'Khelo India Khelo' and 'Fit India' campaigns.

He said, "We want more and more to connect with sports...