Delhi Police detained Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj in Uttar Pradesh on Friday, hours after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protested outside the Parliament Street police station, demanding his arrest over the alleged assault of a student activist’s father. The action came amid growing scrutiny of claims made by Swatantra Bhardwaj in an interview, where he allegedly said he had “cracked the skull” of the man during a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar in July. The injury reportedly required 60 stitches.
Swatantra Bhardwaj faces complaint after political name claims
Reportedly, Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has also filed a complaint against Swatantra Bhardwaj, accusing him of “falsely and publicly” using Paswan’s name. The party said neither Paswan nor LJP (Ram Vilas) has anything to do with him and sought protection from what it called his “false” public claims. It also said the party stood with the student activist and her injured father.
Paswan said on Friday that Swatantra Bhardwaj had misused his name and the names of other leaders. “In public life, many people come to meet us and take pictures. But if on that basis they claim to be personal acquaintances, then that is a misuse of our name. The attacker has sought to give the impression that action has not been taken against him because of me and my party. I have lodged a formal complaint against this misuse of my name,” he said.
Swatantra Bhardwaj invokes names of several leaders
In the podcast clip that drew attention, Swatantra Bhardwaj claimed, “I have the blessings of Hanuman upon me. And secondly, Kapil Mishra is my elder brother. They say Kapil Mishra called and I was released. Chirag Paswan is my elder brother…I have everyone’s support.”
Photographs of Swatantra Bhardwaj with political leaders, including Chirag Paswan, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Delhi minister Kapil Mishra, have also surfaced. In the interview, he allegedly claimed he had severely assaulted the activist’s father but had avoided being jailed.
Paswan seeks action as Swatantra Bhardwaj is detained
Paswan has demanded strict action against Swatantra Bhardwaj. “The individual is openly admitting to having beaten someone so severely that it could potentially have resulted in their death. If no action is taken, then I believe it will set a very wrong precedent for the country and the public,” he told mediapersons.
Confirming the party’s complaint, Paswan said, “Given the gravity of the matter and since that individual has misused my name, along with the names of several other politicians, I have lodged a formal complaint against him and have also urged the Delhi Police to conduct an impartial investigation.”
Swatantra Bhardwaj case draws protest and police action
CJP representatives, accompanied by Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad and MP Pappu Yadav, met police officials and were assured that action would be taken against Swatantra Bhardwaj within 72 hours.
Paswan also assured support to the student activist and her father. “We are with the victim’s family. Ensuring justice for them is my and my party’s responsibility. We will ensure that the truth comes to light and that appropriate action is taken as soon as possible against the person who is openly making a mockery of the law,” he added.
Khalid Lateef is a Sub-Editor at NewsX Digital, specializing in Indian politics and global affairs. He also covers viral trending stories and major crime developments.
