New Delhi: A day after Bajrang Punia returned his Padma Shri Award, 2005 Deaflympics gold medal winner grappler Virender Singh Yadav announced he will do the same as a protest after Brij Bhushan Singh's close aide Sanjay Singh was elected as president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
Virender, also known as Goonga Pehalwan, received the Padma Shri back in 2021. Before that, he was honoured with the Arjuna Award in 2015.
On Friday, Punia, as a mark of protest, kept the Padma Shri Award on the footpath near the Prime Minister's residence and left the place. “I will give the Padma Shri award to anyone who will take it to PM Modi,” Punia told the Delhi Police.
Announcing his decision to return his Padma Shri on Twitter, Virender also asked cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra to voice their opinion on the ongoing rift between players and the WFI.
“I will also return the Padma Shri for my sister and the daughter of the country, Honorable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Sir. I am proud of your daughter and my sister SakshiMalik,” wrote Virender on X.
“But... why...? But I would also request the top players of the country to also give their decision...@sachin_rt @Neeraj_chopra1,” he said in his post.
On Thursday, 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik announced quitting Wrestling following Sanjay Singh's election as president of the WFI.
Sakshi removed her shoes and put them on the dais before leaving the press conference in tears. "I am dejected and I will not be competing in wrestling anymore," an emotional Sakshi had said.
The Sports Ministry on Friday said Punia's decision to return his Padma Shri award was a personal one but it will still try to convince him to rethink the move.
