In a controversial statement, a minister in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh on Monday questioned the patriotism of the sportspersons who have announced to return their awards in protest against the Central government's new farm laws and said that they got these prizes by talking of breaking India's integrity.
On Monday, at least 30 sportspersons from Punjab and Haryana marched towards the Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet President Ram Nath Kovind and return their awards in solidarity with the lakhs of protesting farmers. However, Delhi Police didn't allow them to go to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Questioning patriotism
"How these awardees got the awards? Bharat Mata ko gaali do, Bharat ke tukde karo unko award milte hain (those who abuse mother India and talked of breaking the integrity of India get awards)," Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister & BJP leader Kamal Patel told news agency ANI.
He went on to call the protesting sportspersons "so-called awardees" and said that "these folks are not patriots".
Patel compared the sportspersons with the intellectuals who returned their awards during the first term of Narendra Modi government during a fierce national debate on growing intolerance. "Awards were returned earlier also," he said, referring to a wave of award returns in protest against intolerance.
Notably, Modi government, BJP and right-wingers ridicule intellectual by calling them "award waapasi gang". They accuse the intellectuals of selectively opposing the policies of the Central government.
Among the sportspersons who have announced to return their prizes are noted wrestlers, Olympians, Indian basketball players and Arjuna Award winners, mostly from Panjab.
Return awards: a form of protest
After being stopped by Delhi Police, two-time Asian Games gold-winning former wrestler Kartar Singh told media persons, "We were going peacefully to meet the President and return our awards in protest. We want to urge the President to take back these 'black laws'."
Kartar, who received the Arjuna award in 1982 and Padma Shri in 1987, was accompanied by Olympic gold-winning former hockey player Gurmail Singh and former women's hockey captain Rajbir Kaur among others. While Gurmail is a 2014 Dhyanchand awardee, Rajbir was bestowed the Arjuna in 1984.
"The farmers have always supported us. We felt bad when we saw that our farmer brothers were lathi-charged, roads were closed. Farmers are sitting on streets in the bitter cold for their rights," Singh was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Farmers' protest
Lakhs of farmers are protesting in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh among other states against the three farm laws passed by the Parliament in September this year.
Thousands of them are camping at different borders of Delhi and have blocked several entry points into the national capital, in a bid to force the Central government to bow to their demands -- repeal of all of the three laws.
Five rounds of talks have taken place between farmers' unions and the Centre but to no avail. Even though the government agreed to include the MSP in the laws, the farmers want nothing short of rolling back the laws completely.
Bharat bandh on Dec 8
Farmers' unions have called for a Bharat bandh (countrywide shutdown) to show their strength and force the government. Almost every major Opposition party, excluding for TMC, have extended their support to the bandh.
Several unions of traders, transporters and hotel owners have also decided to keep their shops shut in solidarity with the agitating farmers.
