Deepa Malik opposes award wapsi; says 'be responsible citizen, not bad sportsperson'

Led by two-time Asian Games gold-winning former wrestler Kartar Singh, a few sportspersons from Punjab on Monday marched towards Rashtrapati Bhavan to return "35 national sports awards" in a show of solidarity with farmers agitating against new agriculture laws but were stopped midway by police.

'Be a responsible citizen but t a b sportsperson'

Reacting to 'award wapsi',  Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) President and a medalist in Paralympic games Deepak Malik said that "sportsperson must move forward in right spirit of sportsmanship and asserted that issue can be resolved in a "healthy way." 

Taking to Twitter, she said that returning national and Pma awards "would be disrespect for our Tricolour. Be a responsible citizen but t a b sportsperson."

'National Awards & farmers issue two separate things'

Indian Olympic Association offered its first comments on sportspersons' involvement in protest, urging m to have faith in government and to treat ir national hours and agitation as "two separate things." "Of late sportspersons are seen to be anuncing return of ir National Awards as a mark of ir support for recent farmers' issue. National Awards and farmers issue are two separate things," IOA President Narinder Batra and Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said in a joint statement.

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marching athletes claimed to have support of several Arjuna and or national sports awards winners. Earlier, Khel Ratna awardee and India's first Olympic medal-winning boxer Vijender Singh h also threatened to return hour in support of protesting farmers.

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Thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana are camping at various Delhi border points for over a week, protesting against new farm laws, which y claim will dismantle minimum support price system, leaving m at "mercy" of big corporate houses.

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Farmers' concern is that se laws, aimed at reforming sector, will eliminate MSP and mandis that ensure ir earning. But government says MSP system will continue and new laws will give farmers more options to sell ir produce. government is holding talks with farmers, who have called for a 'Bharat Bandh' on December 8, supported by various political parties.

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