February 11, 2026 10:43 pm (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Bangladesh poll manifestos mirror India’s welfare schemes as BNP, Jamaat bet big on women, freebies | Drama ends: Pakistan makes U-turn on India boycott, to play T20 World Cup clash as per schedule | ‘Won’t allow any impediment in SIR’: Supreme Court pulls up Mamata govt over delay in sharing officers’ details | India-US trade deal: ‘Negotiations always two-way’, says Amul MD amid farmers’ concerns | Khamenei breaks 37-year-old ritual for first time amid escalating Iran-US tensions | India must push for energy independence amid global uncertainty: Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal | Kanpur horror: Lamborghini driven by businessman’s son rams vehicles, injures six | ‘Namaste Trump beat Howdy Modi’: Congress slams PM Over India-US trade deal | Historic India-US trade pact: Tariffs cut, $500B market opportunity unlocked! | Big call from RBI: Repo rate stays at 5.25%, neutral stance continues
Bajrang Punia
Bajrang Punia to return Padma Shri to PM Narendra Modi to protest WFI chief's election. Photo Courtesy: Bajrang Punia X page

WFI chief Sanjay Singh's election: Bajrang Punia says he will return Padma Shri to PM Modi

| @indiablooms | Dec 23, 2023, at 12:31 am

Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia on Friday (December 22, 2023) said he will return his Padma Shri award to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a day after former Wrestling Federation of India chief's close aide Sanjay Singh was elected to the top post of the Indian wrestling body.

Bajrang's co-wrestler and Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik earlier hung up her boots to protest against the election.

On his X page, Punia wrote: "I am returning my Padma Shri to PM Narendra Modi."

Sanjay Singh defeated Anita Sheoran 40-7 in a virtually one-sided contest.

However, Prem Chand Lochab, who seemingly got the support of the protesting wrestlers, was elected as the secretary general.

The wrestlers officially ended their protest on June 7 after the Sports Minister assured them none of the family members or close associates of Brij Bhushan would be allowed to enter the WFI election.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.