WFI elections: After Bajrang Punia, Deaflympics gold medallist Virender Singh to return Padma Shri

Sakshi Malik, Bajrang, and Vinesh Phogat addressed a press conference after Sanjay’s election in which Sakshi, a bronze medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, announced that she would quit the sport as a mark of protest.

Sakshi is India’s first woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal.

They had demanded that no close associate of Brij Bhushan should enter the WFI.

The three top wrestlers had accused Brij Bhushan of sexually exploiting several women wrestlers. They had even contemplated throwing away their medals into the river Ganga on 30 May, in Haridwar but the farmer leaders convinced them not to take the step.

In solidarity

Throwing his weight behind Olympic bronze medallist grappler Sakshi Malik, who announced her retirement from the sport soon after Sanjay Singh’s victory in the recent WFI polls, Virender said he would return the honour as a mark of protest against the election of Brij Bhushan’s close aide.

“I will also return the Padma Shri for my sister and the country’s daughter. Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, I am proud of your daughter and my sister Sakshi Malik,” Virender wrote on X.

He also urged the country’s iconic sports personalities such as Sachin Tendulkar and Neeraj Chopra to give their opinion on the issue.

“I would also request the top players of the country to also give their decision,” Virender, said in his post, tagging cricket legend Tendulkar and Olympic champion javelin thrower Chopra.

Virender had received the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2021. Before that, he was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2015.

मैं भी अपनी बहन और देश की बेटी के लिए पदम् श्री लौटा दूँगा, माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी को, मुझे गर्व है आपकी बेटी और अपनी बहन @SakshiMalik पर… जी क्यों…?

पर देश के सबसे उच्च खिलाड़ियों से भी अनुरोध करूँगा वो भी अपना निर्णय दे…@sachin_rt @Neeraj_chopra1 pic.twitter.com/MfVeYdqnkL

— Virender Singh (@GoongaPahalwan) December 22, 2023

Related: Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia returns Padma Shri 

Punia returns the award

“I am returning my Padma Shri award to the Prime Minister. This is just my letter to say. This is my statement,” read a post shared by the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist wrestler on X, formerly Twitter.

In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bajrang wrote: “Honourable prime minister, I hope your health is well. You must be busy with many works but I am writing this to draw your attention to the wrestlers of the country.”

“You must be aware that the women wrestlers of the country started a protest in January this year against Brij Bhushan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment. I, too, joined their protest. The protest stopped after the government promised strong action,” he further said.

Expressing his disappointment, the star wrestler added, “But there was no FIR against Brij Bhushan even three months later. We again took to the streets in April so that the police would at least register an FIR against him.”

“There were 19 complainants in January but the number came down to seven by April. This means Brij Bhushan exerted his influence on 12 women wrestlers,” he added.

Bajrang was stopped at the Kartavya Path by the Delhi Police when he tried to reach Parliament to meet Modi and hand over his letter in protest against Sanjay Singh’s election.

“No, I don’t have any permission. If you can please forward this letter to the PM because I can’t go inside. I am not protesting nor being aggressive,” Bajrang said while being stopped by Delhi Police officials.

मैं अपना पद्मश्री पुरस्कार प्रधानमंत्री जी को वापस लौटा रहा हूँ. कहने के लिए बस मेरा यह पत्र है. यही मेरी स्टेटमेंट है। 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/PYfA9KhUg9

— Bajrang Punia 🇮🇳 (@BajrangPunia) December 22, 2023

(With PTI inputs)