Chandigarh: Former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal returned his Padma Vibhusan award on Thursday, becoming the first to return his award in protest against the treatment of the protesting farmers by the Central government. He received the second-highest civilian honour of the country in 2015, NDTV reported.
Badal, 92, said he was registering his protest against the government’s “betrayal of farmers”. His Shiromani Akali Dal has pulled out of the NDA alliance over the farmers’ protest.
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Earlier, a group of top sportspersons and coaches from Punjab said they would return their awards and march to Delhi on December 5 in solidarity with the farmers.
