An esteemed Indian wrestler has returned one of the country's highest civilian awards in protest against the election of a new president for the local wrestling federation, who is backed by his predecessor accused of sexually harassing female athletes. Bajrang Punia, the first Indian wrestler to win four medals at the World Championships, was awarded the Padma Shri—the fourth highest honor and civilian award—from the Indian president in 2019 in recognition of his achievements as an athlete.
Punia posted a letter he sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating that he "could not live with the respect bestowed upon him by the Government of India while female wrestlers are subjected to humiliation." His decision to return the award came a day after Sanjay Singh was elected as the new president of the Indian Wrestling Federation, with the support of the former federation president, Brij Bhushan Singh.
Brij Bhushan Singh has denied all allegations against him. Officials from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Modi, stated that his case is pending in a lower court. There has been no immediate official response from the Indian government to Punia's letter to Modi.
Protesting female wrestlers expressed their shock on Thursday at the election of a man supported by Brij Bhushan Singh to lead the local wrestling federation. Prominent wrestler Sakshi Malik declared her retirement from the sport, stating that authorities had ignored their protests. Singh has been accused of sexual harassment against female athletes, leading the Ministry of Sport to strip him of his administrative powers. The government has pledged to investigate these allegations and protect the athletes.
The global governing body for amateur wrestling suspended the Indian Wrestling Federation following the scandal. The Indian federation did not comply with an August deadline to appoint a new president, forcing Indian wrestlers to compete as neutral athletes in global competitions. Opposition parties have criticized Modi's government for its response to these allegations, which have garnered global attention due to a series of scandals regarding the treatment of women in sports.
