Jalandhar: We will return all our medals and awards and lay siege to Delhi in solidarity with the State’s farmers protesting against three of the Central Government’s controversial farm ordinances, said the Punjab State’s top sportspersons and coaches.

The sportspersons and Coaches were particularly angry at the Government’s use of force against the protesting farmers and said they will proceed to Delhi on December 5 where they will place their awards outside the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Olympic Hockey player and Arjuna awardee Sajjan Singh Cheema in his address to the media at Jalandhar Press Club said that “We are the children of farmers and they have been holding peaceful agitation for the past several months. Not even a single incident of violence took place. But water cannons and teargas shells were used against them when they were going to Delhi,” said Olympic hockey player and Arjuna awardee Sajjan Singh Cheema.

“If the turbans of our elders and brothers are tossed, then what will we do with our awards and honour? We are in support of our farmers. We do not want such awards and that is why we are returning the same,” he said. He was accompanied by wrestler and Padma Shri awardee Kartar Singh, Olympic gold medallist hockey player Gurmail Singh, who is also an Arjuna awardee, and former Indian hockey captain Rajbir Kaur, often called “Golden Girl”. “All the Padma and Arjuna awards, all medal will be returned by Punjab’s sportspersons…there will be around 150 of them,” said another sportsperson at the press conference.