India’s first Olympic medallist in boxing and Congress leader Vijender Singh on Sunday announced that he would return the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award if the Central government did not withdraw the three controversial farm laws.
Mr. Singh, who reached the Singhu border to extend support to the ongoing farmers’ agitation, said if the government did not take back the three “black laws”, he would return his award, the highest sporting honour of the country.
“Enough is enough, if the government does not listen to the demands of the farmers, then I have decided that as a show of solidarity, I will return my Khel Ratna,” Mr. Singh told PTI. “I come from a family of farmers and Army men, I can understand their pain and anxiety. It is high time that the government pays heed to their demands,” added the 35-year-old boxer from Haryana’s Bhiwani.
“The award definitely means a lot to me but we also have to take a stand for things we believe in. If the crisis is resolved with talks, then we would all be happy,” he added.
Mr. Singh had won India’s first Olympic medal in boxing, a bronze, in the 2008 Beijing Games.
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