A day after wrestler Sakshi Malik's retirement in objection to 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 decision to return his Padma Shri award in a letter addressed to PM Modi.
He expressed, "I am returning my Padma Shri award to the Prime Minister. This tweet serves as my official statement regarding this action."
Sanjay Singh, a Brij Bhushan Singh supporter, was elected president of the Wrestling Federation of India on Thursday, winning 13 of the 15 positions. Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat addressed a press conference following Sanjay Singh's election, during which Sakshi announced her intention to quit the sport in protest. "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.
