August 24, 2026 05:01 pm (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
‘Reservation for poor, not caste’: Stir at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar | Dalit woman 'gangrape-murder' shocker in Karnataka: 4 arrested after body found in well | India dismisses Pakistan's 'frustration' over US envoy's J&K remark | Centre denies US visit clearance to Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, says programmes 'not appropriate' | Delhi Police register FIR in pellet gun case after Rahul Gandhi's sit-in | Rahul Gandhi stages dharna at Delhi police station over CJP protest crackdown, targets Amit Shah | CJP school tour turns chaotic in Jaipur: Cars vandalised, stones pelted as Ashutosh Ranka alleges BJP ‘goons’ attack | Vande Mataram row: Kangana Ranaut slams Sharmila Tagore, says ‘come out of Hindu-Muslim mindset’ | Jadavpur erupts again: ABVP-SFI clash, police barricades shattered as fresh tension grips area | Ex-Congress MP and 1984 anti-Sikh riots convict Sajjan Kumar dies while serving life sentence
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.