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Boxer Vijender Singh joins protesting farmers, says will return Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been agitating at five Delhi borders for the past 11 days.
Boxer Vijender Singh on Sunday expressed his solidarity with the farmers protesting against legislation enacted by the Centre earlier this year and said he will return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award if the government fails to repeal the “black laws”. “If the government does not withdraw the black laws, I will return my Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award,” Singh, who had joined Congress and contested the Lok Sabha elections last year, said according to news agency ANI.
Five former sportspersons from Punjab also joined the protest at Singhu border on Sunday. Arjuna awardees Rajbir Kaur and Gurmail Singh, who played hockey, former wrestler Kartar Singh, ex-boxer Jaipal Singh and Dhyan Chand Award winner Ajit Singh were among them.
Watch | ‘Will return Khel Ratna’: Boxer Vijender Singh visits farmers at Singhu border
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“Many former players like Sajjan Singh Cheema who could not join us because of health or other issues have given their sports awards to us,” Kartar Singh, who is a Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee, was quoted as saying by news agency PTI on Saturday. “If are not allotted a time to meet the president, we will place our awards outside the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday,” Rajbir Kaur had said on Saturday.
Other former sportspersons who have also supported the agitating farmers are Dhyan Chand awardee and Olympian Gurmail Singh, Arjuna winner kabaddi player Hardeep Singh, and Arjuna awardee weightlifter Tara Singh. On Friday, former national boxing coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu, during whose tenure India won its maiden Olympic medal in the sport, Padma Shri boxer Kaur Singh and Arjuna awardee boxer Jaipal Singh too had announced that they would return their awards.
Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been agitating at five Delhi borders for the past 11 days. They want the Centre to repeal three laws it cleared during Parliament’s monsoon session, saying they would allow big corporations to exploit them. The government, however, maintains that the new reform agenda will lead to better crop prices and higher investments in the farm sector.
The farmers have called for a nationwide strike on December 8 against the legislation. The move has been backed by several political parties, including the Congress. Also, the leaders of farmers’ unions and Union ministers will meet for the sixth time on December 10 to come to a conclusion for the deadlock.
