Rahul Gandhi meets Bajrang amid row over Brij Bushan loyalist Sanjay Singh's election as WFI chief

Bajrnag Punia had returned his Padma Shri on December 22.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on December 27 met with Olympic bronze medalist Bajrang Punia and other wrestlers in Jhajjar, Haryana. The meeting took place amid a controversy over the election of Sanjay Singh, a close aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, as the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

In protest against Singh's election as president in the WFI polls last week, Punia had returned his Padma Shri on December 22. Despite the Sports Ministry's decision to suspend the newly elected WFI panel, Punia has chosen not to reclaim his Padma Shri award. The Olympic medalist wrestler stated that he would only make a decision after complete justice is delivered in the matter.

The former Congress chief visited the Virendra Akhada in Haryana, where he met and interacted with wrestlers, including Punia, who started his journey in the sport at this akhara.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) came to see our routine (training). He did wrestling and exercised with me. He came to see what is the day-to-day life of a wrestler," Punia told reporters.

The meeting between Gandhi and the wrestlers took place following Vinesh Phogat's decision to return her Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award in protest against Singh's election as the president of the WFI.

On December 21, Singh was elected as the president of WFI, leading a panel closely associated with Brij Bhushan, and they secured victory in 13 out of the 15 posts.

The wrestlers had expressed the demand that no close associate of Brij Bhushan should enter the WFI administration. Subsequent to the election, Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik declared her decision to retire from the sport.

However, the Sports Ministry later suspended the newly-elected panel for not adhering to the provisions of its own constitution in decision-making. The ministry also urged the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to establish an ad-hoc panel to oversee the affairs of the sports body.

(With PTI inputs)