Days after announcing her decision to return her Khel Ratna and Arjuna award to the Prime Minister, star wrestler Vinesh Phogat left her awards on the pavement of the Kartavya Path in New Delhi.
Vinesh headed towards the Prime Minister’s Office to leave her awards but was stopped by the police.
After being stopped, in a heartbreaking moment, the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games Gold medallist left the prestigious awards on the pavement.
Vinesh decided to return her awards in protest against the election of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh loyalist Sanjay Singh as the president of Wrestling Federation of India.
Vinesh was conferred with the Khel Ratna in 2020 while she received the Arjuna Award in 2016.
Sanjay Singh was elected as WFI's chief last week. He is an associate of Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan and the wrestlers did not want any one close to the BJP MP entering the national federation.
Brij Bhushan was accused of sexual harassment of several women wrestlers by Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik. They had held a long drawn protest at Jantar Mantar early this year.
