Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj, who is under fire over his alleged claim that he “cracked” a person's skull during the Jantar Mantar protest in July, has now said he acted in “self-defence” and added that he “would do it again if cornered”.
The controversy broke out after a podcast clip went viral, in which Bhardwaj could be heard claiming to have attacked Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activist Nishu Aazad’s father during the NEET-UG protests in Delhi and facing no police action. Follow live updates related to CJP's protest in Delhi here.
The clip sparked an uproar on social media, with several political leaders reacting to it, including leader of opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
Swatantra Bhardwaj says acted in ‘self-defence’
Deep Dive
What did Swatantra Bhardwaj claim about his actions during the CJP protest?
Why did CJP leaders seek police action against Swatantra Bhardwaj?
How did the Delhi Police respond to claims of a serious injury to Nishu Aazad’s father?
Speaking in an interview, Bhardwaj claimed that he hit the protester's father with his kada (iron bracelet) while defending himself.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking in an interview, Bhardwaj claimed that he hit the protester's father with his kada (iron bracelet) while defending himself.
{{/usCountry}}"I struck Nishu's father on the head with my kada (iron bracelet) in self-defence," he told NDTV.
Bhardwaj also said he would respond in the same manner if he faced similar attempts to target him in the future.
"If I am cornered like that again and attempts are made to target me, I will strike with my kada once more," he added.
CJP leaders seek police case
CJP co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka went to the Parliament Street Police Station in New Delhi on Friday, seeking registration of a case against Bhardwaj. They also demanded justice for Nishu Aazad and her father, Sanjay.
Ranka 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, however, said Nishu's father suffered a head injury after being hit with a kada during a scuffle. The police rejected reports claiming there was a "crack in skull", calling them "misinformation".
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Rahul Gandhi targets Amit Shah
Gandhi on Thursday alleged that Union home minister Amit Shah was protecting Bhardwaj and questioned whether the accused would face any action.
Nishu Aazad, who took part in the Jantar Mantar protest in July, had appealed to Gandhi for support. She alleged that Delhi Police had failed to take action against the person who attacked her father, leaving him with head injuries.
In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "Nishu, there's no need to panic. I'm with you. It's clear that you're being targeted because you raise your voice for the rights of your community and students."
"Amit Shah's Delhi Police, on one hand, commits inhuman brutality against students. On the other hand, the criminal who smashed the head of a Dalit girl's father is roaming freely in the open," he said.
With inputs from agencies