Bajrang ‘returns’ his Padma Shri, leaves it on footpath: ‘We spent the night in tears’

“I will give the Padma Shri award to anyone who will take it to PM Modi,” Bajrang said before he placed the award on the footpath and walked away. The award was later picked up by a policeman.

Minutes earlier, Bajrang posted a strongly-worded letter on his social media, saying that he was giving back the award in protest over the election of Sanjay Singh as the WFI president. He signed off his letter, addressed to the Prime Minister, as an “asammanit pehelwan (dishonoured wrestler)”.

Bajrang’s decision comes a day after Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik announced retirement from wrestling, hours after the results of the WFI elections were announced.

“We all spent the night in tears,” Bajrang wrote in his letter to the Prime Minister. “We did not understand what to do, or where to go. The government has given us a lot. I was conferred with the Padma Shri in 2019. I also received the Arjuna, Khel Ratna awards. When I got these awards, I was on cloud nine. But today the sadness weighs more… I can’t live my life as a Padma Shri awardee while our women wrestlers are insulted. Hence I return my award to you.”

He also recounted their plight during the protests earlier this year, when the country’s top wrestlers accused Brij Bhushan of intimidation and sexual harassment while demanding his arrest.

In June, the Delhi Police filed a 1,500-page chargesheet against Brij Bhushan for alleged sexual harassment, assault and stalking of six women wrestlers. They cited photographs and videos to back their allegations while booking him under multiple sections of the IPC, including sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 354D (stalking).

The case is currently being heard in a Delhi court.

Vinesh Phogat, who has been at the forefront of the protests along with Sakshi and Bajrang, said retiring or returning the award is the “final, desperate step” any athlete can take.

“Bajrang, Sakshi and I were together just before the elections were taking place. We discussed the possibility of Sanjay Singh winning and Sakshi immediately said if that happened, she would not be able to continue wrestling. She broke down as she said that and looking at her, even Bajrang began crying,” she told The Indian Express.

They felt let down by the government, which had promised to take action against Brij Bhushan and ensure neither his family members nor close aides would be a part of the federation, said Vinesh.

Recalling a meeting she and Bajrang had with Union Home Minister Amit Shah last year after they won a bronze medal at the World Championship, Vinesh claimed: “Bajrang and I met Home Minister Amit Shah at his official residence. It was just the three of us and Babita (Phogat, former wrestler and now a BJP leader) in that meeting. We informed him about everything that Brij Bhushan was up to. We even gave him the names of the girls who had been his victims. He asked us to wait for 30-40 days and told us not to worry about it.”

She said the government kept giving them repeated assurances until they stopped answering their calls. In his letter to the Prime Minister on Friday, Bajrang, too, said: “We met Union Home Minister Amit Shah who too promised us of justice.”

Vinesh said they would not engage with the new WFI president Sanjay Singh, who claimed he considers Brij Bhushan as his “brother”. “Who is Sanjay Singh? Who was wearing garlands after the elections?” she said.

While Bajrang returned his awards and Sakshi quit the sport, Vinesh said she would retire, if at all, “on her terms”.

“If I quit, it will be my decision not because of anyone’s dadagiri. We will continue our fight. Brij Bhushan’s ego is too big. But it’s the ego that will lead to his eventual downfall,” she said.