Vijender Singh lends support to farmers protest, says will return Khel Ratna if farm laws not revoked

Vijender Singh announced that if the three new farm laws are not rolled back he will return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.

ANI photo

New Delhi: Boxer Vijender Singh joined the farmers` agitation on Sunday (December 6, 2020) at Singhu border and expressed his solidarity. He announced that if the new agriculture laws are not rolled back he will  return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.

While addressing the gathering, Singh said, "I came here today as our big brother Punjab is here, so how can people of Haryana lag behind. If the government doesn`t withdraw the black laws, I will return my Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award--the highest sporting honour of the nation." 

Singh, who had joined Congress and contested the Lok Sabha elections last year, was quoted as saying by ANI. 

"I'd received training in Punjab and had their 'roti'. Today when they are here in the cold, I've come as their brother. Other athletes from Haryana wanted to come but they have government jobs and would have been in trouble. They say they're with farmers," he said.

On Saturday, Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh too reached the Singhu border and met with the protesting faremrs. He hailed their agitation and said 'your issues shouldn't be diverted by anyone'.

Meanwhile, former national boxing coach Gurbaksh Singh Sandhu too has decided to return his Dronacharya Award to show solidarity with agitating farmers.

Notably, on December 3, former Punjab Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Parkash Singh Badal returned the Padma Vibhushan award "in protest". He called it a "betrayal of the farmers by the Government of India".

Later on December 4, Shiromani Akali Dal (Democratic) Chief and rebel Rajya Sabha member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa returned the Padma Bhushan award and on the same day, the winners of the Bhartiya Sahitya Akademi Award in Punjabi including Sirmour Shire Dr Mohanjit, eminent thinker Dr Jaswinder Singh and Punjabi playwright and editor of Punjabi Tribune Swarajbir also returned their awards to show support for farmers. 

The farmers` have been staging protest against the three farm laws passed by the Centre, the Farmers` Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The protests around the border areas of the national capital has entered the 11th day today.

The Central government and ldeaders of farmers representatives will meet for a sixth round of meeting on December 9 at Vigyan Bhawan after all previous meetings ended in a deadlock.