Amid a huge controversy tied to self-proclaimed Hindutva activist Swantantra Bhardwaj, union minister Chirag Paswan's party LJP (RV) has sought action against him.
The development came on Friday, hours after a purported clip showed Bhardwaj claiming to have political backing as he appeared to boast of facing no police action.
In the video, the influencer called Chirag Paswan his “elder brother”, suggesting close ties with him. However, the union minister has denied any association with the creator, saying his name was misused.
Deep Dive
What actions did Chirag Paswan take in response to Swatantra Bhardwaj's claims?
Why was Swatantra Bhardwaj detained by the police?
How did public protests influence the police's actions regarding Bhardwaj?
Bhardwaj was detained on Friday, hours after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) led a massive protest outside the Parliament Street Police station in Delhi over the content creator's alleged attack on the father of a minor protestor during the Jantar Mantar protests in June.
Chirag Paswan distances self from Swatantra
Chirag Paswan's party also filed a complaint against the Hindutva influencer for “falsely” suggesting to have political backing of the union minister.
Chirag Paswan has clarified that neither himself nor his party has anything to do with Bhardwaj. "In public life, many people come to meet us. But if somebody claims, on this very basis to be a personal acquaintance of ours, 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 was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
“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,” he said.
Swatantra Bhardwaj claims political backing in viral clip
{{/usCountry}}“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,” he said.
Swatantra Bhardwaj claims political backing in viral clip
{{/usCountry}}The outrage against Swatantra Bhardwaj broke out after a viral video showed him purportedly claiming to “crack” a person's skull and admitting to an attack on a protester's father during the Delhi protests in June.
In the clip that drew attention to him, Bhardwaj also invoked the names of several political leaders.
"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. How many leaders do you know? Do you know Modi ji? Modi ji is also my elder brother. I have everyone's support," he claimed, according to a news agency PTI report.
While there is no reaction from Delhi minister Kapil Mishra on the Hindutva influencer's claims yet, Chirag Paswan has squarely denied having any association with him.
Also Read: Swatantra Bhardwaj detained after big CJP protest, POCSO case filed after ‘rape threats’ to minor
Paswan also backed Sanjay Azad, who was allegedly attacked by Swatantra Bhardwaj, and said: "Given the situation Sanjay ji is in today, both my party and I stand firmly with him and his family. Ensuring justice for them is a responsibility that both I and my party fully accept... 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...".
‘Should be a case of attempted murder’
In the viral video, the Hindutva influencer was himself seen accepting that an “attempted murder” case should have been filed for his actions at the protest.
“He (Sanjay) had seven stitches on his head. He was lying half dead and was being carried in an ambulance while his daughter was standing outside the police station demanding justice and threatening to commit suicide…I did not even go to jail. I was roaming at night,” Bhardwaj said in the clip, as stated in an earlier HT report.
However, the content creator later took a U-Turn on his remarks, claiming that the purported video being shared online was "fake".
Also Read: Influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj backtracks on ‘cracking skull’ remark, calls it ‘self defence’
Amid big backlash over the alleged attack, Bhardwaj's viral clip and the CJP's massive sit-in at the Delhi police station, the Hindutva influencer was detained in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr on Friday.
After the protest, police also added sections under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.