Protesters Demand Action Against Influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj Over Alleged Assault

Supporters of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Friday marched to the Parliament Street Police Station in Delhi, demanding action against self-styled influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj over the alleged assault of Sanjay Kumar, father of student activist Nishu Azad, during a protest at Jantar Mantar protests in July.

The protest has drawn political attention, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi backing Azad and questioning the alleged lack of action against Bhardwaj. AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal also shared a video at the centre of the controversy and criticised the government.

What is the protest about?

The CJP has accused Bhardwaj of assaulting Kumar and has demanded his arrest, registration of an attempt-to-murder case and invocation of the SC/ST Act, saying Kumar belongs to a Dalit family.

CJP spokesperson Saurav Das and co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka led Friday's march from Patel Chowk to the Parliament Street Police Station.

"We demand that Delhi Police immediately arrest those who have identified themselves as being involved, register an attempt-to-murder case against them, and invoke all applicable serious charges," Ranka said.

"There is a minor who has been associated with our protest right from Day One. Her father, Sanjay Ji, also comes with her. When we were holding a peaceful sit-in protest when some members of a criminal gang entered our protest and resorted to violence."

"After the FIR was registered, we continued putting pressure on the police, saying that this was an attempt to murder and that the relevant section should be added. We also demanded that the SC/ST Act be invoked because they belong to a Dalit family. There is also a caste angle to the matter. But the police did not take any such action. When we pressured the police, they told us to approach the court and obtain an order," Das said.

Why did the issue flare up again?

The controversy resurfaced after a video from an interview featuring Bhardwaj circulated on social media. In the video, he appeared to speak about the alleged assault and claimed that he had "cracked the skull" of Nishu's father but was not jailed.

"I cracked the skull of Nishu's father. Do you know which section this crime attracts? Section 307. He needed 60 stitches. The man was being taken away in an ambulance in a serious condition. His daughter was standing outside the police station and saying that she would die by suicide if her father didn't get justice. But I was not even jailed. The world should know this. I was out and about through the night," Bhardwaj is heard saying.

He also claimed to have the backing of political leaders, saying, "I have the blessings of Hanuman. Secondly, Kapil Mishra is my elder brother. They say Kapil Mishra called and I was released. Chirag Paswan is my elder brother."

The claims prompted Opposition leaders to question whether Bhardwaj received political protection.

What did Rahul Gandhi say?

Gandhi backed Azad in a post on X after she appealed for help, and questioned why the alleged assailant was still free.

What did Kejriwal say?

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal after sharing Bhardwaj's video on X said: "You absolutely must watch this video. Your blood will boil. Did heroes like Bhagat Singh sacrifice their lives for this, that one day the country would get a prime minister who would openly protect such thugs?"

TMC MP Mahua Moitra also questioned the allegations and raised the issue of political accountability.

Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) president Chandra Shekhar Aazad joined CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka at the Parliament Street Police Station to offer his support.

Who is Swatantra Bhardwaj?

Bhardwaj describes himself on Instagram as a "Swatantra Hindu" and has around 1.84 lakh followers on the platform.

He has posted videos targeting participants of the CJP agitation. During a July 20 protest, he called the protesters "terrorists" and "cockroaches" and demanded that "staunch sanatanis" like him be allowed to act as Delhi Police personnel for a day.

The latest controversy has brought renewed attention to his social media presence and his claims of political connections.

What does Bhardwaj say now?

Bhardwaj has since denied deliberately attacking Kumar and described the incident as self-defence.

"What people are calling an attack was an act of self-defence. If I had not acted in self-defence, I could have been lynched by the mob or killed. There was no attempt to attack him. I have proofs in the form of video. I was gheroed by 10-15 people. When I acted in self-defence, he was hit on the head. As per his medical report from Delhi Police, he did not suffer major injuries. I am cooperating with the ongoing investigation. The podcast clip that is being shared on social media by Rahul Gandhi and others is fake. Those saying that I was released because of influence from Kapil Mishra, I want to tell them that Kapil Mishra and Chirag Paswan are like my brothers. People should understand what was said in sarcasm," he said in a video posted by ANI on X later.