Chandigarh, December 3: Akali Dal stalwart and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal returns Padma Vibhushan in protest against farm laws.
“I am who I am because of the people, especially the common farmer. Today when he has lost more than his honour, I see no point in holding on to the Padma Vibhushan honour,” the Shromani Akali Dal leader said, adding the farmers are waging a bitter struggle in the severe cold just to secure their fundamental right to life.
Several former sportspersons including Padma Shri and Arjuna awardees have extended their support to the agitating farmers and said they will return their awards in protest against the “force’ used against the protesters en route to Delhi.Among them are Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee wrestler Kartar Singh, Arjuna awardee basketball player Sajjan Singh Cheema and Arjuna awardee hockey player Rajbir Kaur.
They said they will proceed to Delhi on December 5 and will place their awards outside the Rashtrapati Bhavan. They slammed the Centre and Haryana government for using water cannons and teargas against the protesting farmers to stop them from going to Delhi.
“We are the children of farmers and they have been holding peaceful agitation for the last several months. Not even a single incident of violence took place.
