Boxer Vijender Singh joins farmers' stir, threatens to return Khel Ratna
Champion boxer Vijender Singh joined the farmers protesting against the Centre’s farm laws, at the Singhu border on Sunday (December 6) and threatened to return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, as the protests outside Delhi entered its 11th day.
Champion boxer Vijender Singh joined the farmers protesting against the Centre’s farm laws, at the Singhu border on Sunday (December 6) and threatened to return his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, as the protests outside Delhi entered its 11th day.
“If the government doesn’t withdraw the black laws, I’ll return my Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award – the highest sporting honour of the nation,” said the boxer, according to ANI. Singh, who hails from Haryana, received the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2009 and the Padma Shri, fourth highest civilian award in the country, in 2010.
“I’d received training in Punjab and had their ‘roti’. Today, when they’re here in the cold, I have 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 are with the farmers,” the athlete told reporters at Singhu.
He had also lent his support to Punjabi musician Diljit Dosanjh who got involved in an ugly spat with actor Kangana Ranaut over the farm laws recently. “Galat panga le liya bhen (you messed up with wrong people, sister),” he said retweeting Ranaut’s tweet wherein he had called Dosanjh called filmmaker Karan Johar’s “pet”. Dosanjh had also joined the protest at the Singhu border on Saturday.
Galat panga le liya bhen 👊🏽 https://t.co/MK687zEKOL
— Vijender Singh (@boxervijender) December 3, 2020
हाए वो अच्छे दिनों के सब जुमले हाकिम
बस करो हमसे ये स्वर्ग नही देखा जाता 😊 #isupportfarmersprotest 🇮🇳— Vijender Singh (@boxervijender) December 3, 2020
Singh had also tweeted in support of the December 8 Bharat Bandh called by the farmers. Few days ago, he had tweeted taking a swipe at the Centre’s promises of “acchhe din (better days)” with hashtags in support of the farmers’ protest.
Whole of media projecting it as Boxer Vijender Singh in support of farmer agitation . Also mention he contested LS elections on @INCIndia ticket . Convenient deletion of details . #FarmersWithModi
— B L Santhosh (@blsanthosh) December 6, 2020
Taking a dig at him, BJP’s National General Secretary BL Santosh said in a tweet, “Whole of media projecting it as Boxer Vijender Singh in support of farmer agitation . Also mention he contested LS elections on @INCIndia ticket . Convenient deletion of details. #FarmersWithModi.”
Singh had joined the Indian National Congress and contested the Lok Sabha election from South Delhi last year, but lost. In his sports career, Singh had won bronze medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, 2009 World Championships and the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He also won silver medals at the 2006 and 2014 Commonwealth Games.
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Thousands of farmers have been camping at Delhi’s borders (including the one at Singhu) demanding the repeal of the three new farm laws of the Centre, which they believe will leave them at the mercy of corporates and destroy the minimum support price system. The government has been holding talks with them but a breakthrough is not yet in sight.
