"Their awards are their right...they shouldn't return": Haryana minister Anil Vij after wrestler Bajrang 'returns' his Padma Shri

Ambala (Haryana) [India], December 23 (ANI): A day after Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia announced that he was returning the Padma Shri -- India's fourth-highest civilian award -- that was conferred on him in 2019, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Saturday said that the wrestler should have not returned the award as it was his right.
"Their (wrestlers') awards are their right. They shouldn't return it they should keep it and keep playing their sport," Vij said.
The state home minister further said that if the wrestlers have any issues, they should put forward their stance while being in the sport.
"If they have an issue then they should put forward their stance while being in the sport. Neither they should return their award nor they should stop playing," he added.
A day after a close aide of BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been charged with sexual harassment of women wrestlers by Delhi Police, was elected as president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Bajrang Punia said Friday that he was returning the Padma Shri.
Bajrang, who has won multiple medals for India at the World and Asian Championships apart from the Asian Games, was stopped by Delhi Police Friday evening at Kartavya Path when he tried to walk towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence.
Former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's aide Sanjay Singh on Thursday was elected as the new president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
As the results were out, star wrestlers and Olympic medallists Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, who earlier came out against the now-deposed WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment, held a press conference in the national capital.
Sanjay's election was not received well by ace wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, who expressed their disappointment with the result.
Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik, who was the face of wrestlers' protest against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations, on Thursday announced that she is quitting wrestling after his aide Sanjay Singh was elected president of the federation.
Sakshi Malik, distraught and emotional, broke down as she left the venue after addressing a press conference in the national capital. She put her shoes on the table at the press conference as she announced her decision to quit wrestling.
Meanwhile, Bajrang Punia on Friday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he is returning his Padma Shri as a mark of protest over the results of the recent Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections.
Punia shared a detailed post on X, stating, "I am returning my Padma Shri award to the Prime Minister. All I have to say is in this letter; this is my statement." (ANI)