Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Bajrang Punia on Friday decided to return the prestigious Padma Shri award to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a protest after Brij Bhushan Singh’s close aide Sanjay Singh was elected as the President of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

A day after teary-eyed Sakshi Malik announced that she was quitting the sport, Bajrang wrote a letter to PM Modi, expressing his disappointment following WFI polls.

In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, Punia outlined the reasons behind his decision of returning the prestigious award.

The wrestling body row, which had been simmering for a while, reached a tipping point for the athlete. Discontent with the management and administration of the sport he loved, Punia felt compelled to take a stand.

“The government and the people gave so much respect. Should I continue to suffocate under the burden of this respect? In the year 2019, I was awarded Padmashri. Also honored with Khel Ratna and Arjun Award. I was very happy when I received this honour. It seemed that life had been successful. But today I am more unhappy than that and these honors are hurting me. There is only one reason, in wrestling for which we get this honor, our fellow women wrestlers have to give up wrestling for their safety,” wrote Bajrang Punia in a letter.

“We “respectable” wrestlers could not do anything. I will not be able to live my life as “respectable” after insulting female wrestlers. Such a life will torment me all my life. That’s why I am returning this “honor” to you,” the letter read.