NEW DELHI: Amid the WFI suspension by the Sports Ministry and country's leading wrestlers returning their awards, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday morning met Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia and other wrestlers in Jhajjar.
Rahul visited the Virender Arya Akhara in the Chhara village and interacted with the wrestlers including Punia.
The meet comes amid the row over the election of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh loyalist Sanjay Singh as the chief of Wrestling Federation of India.
Bajrang had returned his Padma Shri on Friday in protest over Sanjay's election as president in the WFI polls last week.
"He (Rahul Gandhi) came to see our routine (training). He did wrestling and exercise with me. He came to see what is the day-to-day life of a wrestler," Bajrang told reporters.
Vinesh Phogat, a two-time World Championship medal winner, on Tuesday also decided to return her Khel Ratna and Arjuna award to the Prime Minister, saying such honours have become meaningless when wrestlers are struggling badly for justice.
Phogat's decision came days after Olympic medallist Punia and Deafylmpics champion Virender Singh Yadav returned their Padma Shri awards and Rio Games bronze medallist Sakshi Malik quit the sport after Sanjay Singh's election as WFI president on December 21.
Last Thursday, Sanjay was elected as the WFI president as the panel led by the close aide of Brij Bhushan won 13 of the 15 posts.
The wrestlers had demanded that no close associate of Brij Bhushan should enter the WFI administration.
The Sports Ministry later suspended the newly-elected panel for not following the provisions of its own constitution while taking decisions and also asked the IOA to constitute an ad-hoc panel to manage the affairs of the sports body.
Brij Bhushan was accused of sexual harassment by Phogat, Punia and Malik. They had held a long drawn protest at Jantar Mantar early this year.
(With inputs from agencies)
