New Delhi:

Four days after saying that she would return her Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award, wrestler Vinesh Phogat left the accolades on a pavement on Kartavya Path in New Delhi on Saturday. She did this after the Delhi Police stopped her from going to the Prime Minister’s workplace. 

The Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medallist had introduced her determination to return the awards in an open letter to the Prime Minister on Tuesday. This had come days after Sakshee Malikkh stated she was retiring from wrestling and Bajrang Punia returned his Padma Shri. 

The three wrestlers have been on the forefront of the protests in opposition to then Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The BJP MP had been accused of sexual harassment by a number of girls wrestlers. 

Bajrang Punia posted a video of Ms Phogat strolling on Kartavya Path, which stretches from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, holding the Arjuna Award trophy and what seems to be a letter. She is then seen speaking to a policeman who approaches her.

यह दिन किसी खिलाड़ी के जीवन में न आए। देश की महिला पहलवान सबसे बुरे दौर से गुज़र रही हैं। #vineshphogatpic.twitter.com/bT3pQngUuI

— Bajrang Punia 🇮🇳 (@BajrangPunia) December 30, 2023

The ace wrestler had been awarded the Khel Ratna, which is the nation’s highest sporting honour, in 2020 and the Arjuna Award in 2016. The Delhi Police picked up the awards after Ms Phogat left them behind.

Ms Phogat, Ms Mallikh and Mr Punia had expressed their disappointment after a panel led by Sanjay Singh, a detailed aide of Brij Bhushan, received the elections to the Wrestling Federation of India by a landslide on December 21, indicating a continuity of management within the physique. Mr Singh had defeated Commonwealth Games Gold medallist Anita Sheoran, who was backed by the wrestlers, successful 40 out of 47 votes. 

On December 24, the Sports Ministry had suspended the panel led by Mr Singh for not following the provisions of its personal structure whereas taking choices, and requested the Indian Olympic Association to represent an ad-hoc panel to handle day-to-day affairs on the Wrestling Federation of India. The panel was constituted three days later.

Emotional Letter

In the open letter that she posted on X, previously Twitter, Ms Phogat had requested whether or not girls wrestlers have been made solely to grace authorities ads and stated she was returning the Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award in order that they do not change into a “burden on the path of living with dignity”.

Referring to Brij Bhushan’s comment after the wrestling physique elections that his dominance would proceed, Ms Phogat claimed he had earlier admitted on tv that he had made girls wrestlers uncomfortable, and had used each alternative to humiliate them.