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'Sanatani Yodha': Who is Swatantra Bhardwaj, Hindutva influencer at centre of student activist assault row
Bhardwaj, who has a sizeable social media presence, has posted several videos on his social media profile targeting the CJP agitation, which June 6 to July 25.
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Self-styled Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj is in the centre of a political row following his remarks on a podcast wherein he admitted to assaulting a student protester Nishu Aazad's father, a statement he later denied.
Bhardwaj, who has a sizeable social media presence, has posted several videos on his social media profile targeting the CJP agitation. The influencer currently has 187k followers on his Instagram account, and has posted reels lauding the lathicharge and police action on students during the students' protest at Jantar Mantar.
He describes himself as a “Swatantra Sanatani Yodha” on his profile. Bhardwaj's Instagram bio further says, “We are Brahmins in knowledge. We are kshatriyas on the battlefield. We are Shudras in serving.” He also calls himself an “independent Hindu” in the bio.
Deep Dive
Bhardwaj seen holding lathi, warning CJP protesters in videos
Multiple videos on his Instagram profile show Bhardwaj holding a lathi (stick) and warning CJP protesters who were part of the agitation at Jantar Mantar. In one of the videos posted on July 22, Bhardwaj is seen holding a lathi with a group of men behind him, wherein he says “The real goons have arrived now. And we will show what real gundagardi (hooliganism) is.”
He further claims that he has men roaming around the Capital, and says, “We can't find a single cockroach.” In other video, he is seen defending his threats. “I did not threaten any student, soldier or government. I threatened the anti-nationals who are setting an agenda and hurting government property (sic).”
What did Bhardwaj say in the podcast?
In the viral podcast, Bhardwaj appears to openly claim to assaulting Nishu's father, Sanjay Kumar, during the protest and “cracking his skull".
“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? (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),” the influencer said.
However, Bhardwaj denied the remarks on Friday and claimed that the purported video being shared online was "fake". He further alleged that he had attacked the other person in "self-defence" or he would have been "lynched".
Members of the CJP staged a sit-in at the Parliament Street police station in New Delhi, seeking action over the viral video. Following this, the Delhi Police assured that Swatantra Bharadwaj would be arrested within 72 hours, CJP representatives said.
