CJP Protests at Police Station, Seeks Action against Influencer over Alleged Assault on Student’s Father
NEW DELHI: Scores of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters gathered outside the Parliament Street police station here on Friday, demanding action against self-styled Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj over his alleged assault on the father of a student protester.
The protesters, including CJP co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka and Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief and MP Chandra Shekhar Azad, raised slogans against the Delhi Police and accused it of failing to take stringent action against Bhardwaj.
The protest followed the circulation of a video in which Bhardwaj appeared to claim that he had assaulted Sanjay Kumar, the father of CJP protester Nishu Azad, during a confrontation at Jantar Mantar. In the video, he appeared to claim that he had “cracked the skull” of Kumar and questioned why he had not been jailed.
The controversy has intensified after Bhardwaj later described the incident as an act of self-defence, claiming that he had been surrounded by 10-15 people and feared he could be lynched. He said Kumar was hit on the head during the incident and that he was cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Delhi Police has disputed claims that Kumar suffered a skull fracture or serious injuries. According to the police, Kumar sustained a head injury from a kada (bangle) during a scuffle, and a case was registered on the basis of his complaint. Police said the injuries were simple in nature.
The CJP has, however, demanded stringent action against Bhardwaj and alleged that the police failed to invoke appropriate provisions despite the nature of the injuries and Bhardwaj’s statements.
