Top grapplers such as Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik had staged a sit-in protest in New Delhi demanding the arrest of Bhushan after accusing him of sexual harassment against female grapplers. Later, Punia had returned his Padma Shri award to the government in protest over Bhushan's aide, Sanjay Singh, being elected as the WFI chief. Malik too had quit wrestling for the same reason.
