After Olympic bronze medalist wrestler Bajrang Punia returned his Padma Shri admist the ongoing WFI controversies, Deaflympics gold medalist Virender Singh Goonga Pehlwan said he would return the honour as a mark of protest against the election of Brij Bhushans close aide.Virender wrote on X,I will also return the Padma Shri for my sister and the countrys daughter. Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, I am proud of your daughter and my sister Sakshi Malik.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, 2023Earlier, Bajrang Punia announced on Friday that he would return his Padma Shri award to protest the election of Sanjay Singh as president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).The decision came a day after Singh, a close aide to controversial former WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan, defeated Anita Sheoran to win the top post in Thursdays vote.Also on Thursday, star wrestler Sakshi Malik expressed discontent with the newly elected panel by announcing her retirement from the sport.In a social media post addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Punia recounted joining earlier protests by female wrestlers accusing Bhushan of sexual harassment. Though the government had promised strong action, Thursdays election of Bhushans ally left Punia dissatisfied.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, 2023The months-long WFI leadership crisis is centered on allegations against Bhushan, with top wrestlers like Punia, Malik, and Vinesh Phogat demanding his resignation.Protests were first held in Delhi during the inauguration of the new parliament building in May before shifting to Haridwar. They stopped after the government intervention but resumed with Thursdays election.The quick vote count saw Sanjay Singh, a Bhartiya Janta Party MP, gain 40 out of 47 votes to succeed his close friend Bhushan, as critics like Malik and Punia voiced their displeasure.
