The assault on the pressure group, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) during their agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in July this year has emerged as a political flashpoint yet again on Friday, after a video of self-styled Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj claimed that he had cracked the skull of one ‘Sanjay Kumar,’ the father of a student protestor named Nishu Azad, in the thick of the stir. 

Bhardwaj was heard in the video claiming that he managed to escape jail after the alleged assault owing to his political backing. Political tensions have flared again since Bhardwaj’s video went viral, as the CJP has been demanding answers from the Delhi Police and have yet again taken an aim at Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi over the alleged inaction.

However, Delhi Police have rejected the claims of a skull fracture and denied inaction due to political influence in the case. 

Kapil Mishra’s alleged support helps Bhardwaj evade police

In the viral clip, Bhardwaj claimed that he had injured Azad’s father and added that he was not jailed post-incident. He was heard saying that a phone call from Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra helped him avoid imprisonment. 

Opposition leaders were quick to respond to the video. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief Arvind Kejriwal and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra questioned the action taken against Bhardwaj. 

Delhi Police refute claims

Delhi Police have denied claims that political intervention influenced the handling of the case. As per them, Kumar sustained an injury to his head from a kada during the scuffle. He was then rushed to the RML hospital, where he was examined. Doctors found that he had suffered minor injuries, the police claimed. 

The police added that Bhardwaj and another accused were detained and were interrogated in connection with the incident. Subsequently, they had also been served notices, and a chargesheet is expected to be filed against them as the probe into the incident advances. 

Bhardwaj says viral video an edited one

Amid the mounting controversy, Bhardwaj claimed that the viral video was edited and was propagated without its proper context. He said his remarks in the clip were sarcastic and denied claims that any political leader had intervened to shield him from arrest or imprisonment. 

Meanwhile, CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka reached the Parliament Street Police Station to demand action against the ones involved in the alleged assault. 

CJP criticises police

The CJP has accused the Delhi Police of failing to protect meaningful protestors and questioned the deployment of police personnel that followed its demand for arrests. 

The party wrote on ‘X,’ “Goons kept committing horrendous crimes. Cracked open the skulls of peaceful protesters, and not a single Delhi Police officer came to their aid. We asked for their arrest, and suddenly thousands of police personnel showed up. Shameful!”.”

Protestors from the CJP have also staged a sit-in outside the police station, in a move to intensify the pressure on the authorities to take action over the alleged assault.