Bajrang Punia returns Padma Shri award over WFI chief election

One day following wrestler Sakshi Malik's decision to retire in protest against the appointment of Sanjay Singh, a close associate of Brij Bhushan, as the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India, Bajrang Punia took to Twitter to announce his return of the Padma Shri award to Prime Minister Modi. In his tweet, Bajrang Punia expressed, I am returning my Padmashree award to the Prime Minister. This is my statement.

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

On Thursday, BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's loyalist Sanjay Singh being elected as the Vice President of UP's Wrestling Association, discontent arose among members of the wrestling community. Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik conveyed her disappointment through a press conference and announced her retirement. 

We fought from our heart but if a man like Brij Bhushan, his business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, I give up wrestling. From today onwards you will not see me on the mat, Sakshi said as she kept her boot with tears in her eyes.

In January 2023, Indian wrestlers-initiated protests, demanding an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment involving female wrestlers by BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh during his presidency at the Wrestling Federation of India. Despite these allegations, Brij Bhushan Singh's ally, Sanjay Singh, secured victory as the Vice President of UP's Wrestling Association. Singh, representing one faction, clinched a decisive win with 40 votes, overshadowing his opponent, Anita Sheoran, who managed only seven votes. The election outcome was widely anticipated, as the opposing faction lacked the necessary numerical support for a competitive challenge.