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Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bharadwaj backtracks on ‘cracking skull’ remark, calls it ‘self defence’
Bhardwaj denied making such remarks and alleged that he attacked the other person in "self-defence" or he would have been "lynched".
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Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj, who is under fire for allegedly claiming that he “cracked” a person's skull, denied the remarks on Friday and claimed that the purported video being shared online was "fake". Follow CJP protest news LIVE
In a viral clip from a podcast, Bhardwaj could be heard claiming to have attacked CJP activist Nishu Azad's father during the NEET UG protests in Delhi and facing no police action. The video created massive uproar on social media as political leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, reacted to it.
Deep Dive
Bhardwaj denied making such remarks and alleged that he attacked the other person in "self-defence" or he would have been "lynched".
"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 by my kada," he was quoted as saying by ANI.
The self-styled Hindutva influencer said the man he attacked did not suffer serious injuries, citing medical report shared by the Delhi Police. "I am cooperating with the ongoing investigation," he said.
Bhardwaj further alleged that the podcast clip being shared on social media by Rahul Gandhi and others was "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.
What does the viral video show
In the viral video, Bharadwaj could be heard claiming how he almost killed Nishu's father but wasn't even jailed, crediting Delhi minister Kapil Mishra for having his back.
"Nishu ke baap ko hum sar faade… Aapko pata hai, isko kaun sa dhaara lagta hai? Half murder. Section 307. Sar pe saath taka laga hua tha. Banda marne ke sthiti pe ambulance mein ja raha tha. Uski beti thana ke baahar khade hoke keh rahi thi ki agar mere baap ko insaaf nahi mila to hum zehar khaake mar jaayenge?" he said in the podcast. [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.]
"Hum to jail bhi nahi gaye. Poore duniya ko ye baat pata honi chahiye, hum jail bhi nahi gaye… Ek to hamare Balaji ka kripa hai, doosra thoda-bahut hai, Kapil Mishra apne bade bhai hain. Ye log kehta hai Kapil Mishra ke call aa gaya, chhod diya gaya… [But I was not even jailed. The world should know this. I was out and about through the night… First, it is because of the blessings of our Balaji. Secondly, to some extent, Kapil Mishra is like my elder brother. These people say that a call came from Kapil Mishra and I was released]," he said in the podcast.
CJP leaders seek police case
CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka reached the Parliament Street Police Station in New Delhi on Friday to get a case registered against Bhardwaj as they demanded justice for their leader Nishu Azad and her father Sanjay.
Alleging that Nishu's father was attacked during the protest at Jantar Mantar, Rank said, "We kept seeking justice. The situation in Delhi is such now that the criminal is openly admitting to the crime. But Delhi Police, at the behest of the BJP, did not take any action. We have been standing by Nishu and her father. We will demand from police to register a murder case."
Delhi Police meanwhile said that Nishu's father sustained a head injury from a kada (bangle) during a scuffle, while denying reports of "crack in skull" as "misinformation".
