NEW DELHI: The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Friday staged a protest march to the Parliament Street Police Station, demanding stringent legal action against social-media influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj over the alleged assault on Sanjay Kumar, father of student activist Nishu Azad, during a Jantar Mantar protest.
The protest gained momentum after a video from a podcast surfaced in which Bhardwaj appeared to boast about attacking Kumar and claimed that he had escaped jail despite the alleged assault. He was also heard referring to political connections. Bhardwaj has subsequently denied the controversial remarks and claimed that he acted in self-defence.
The CJP march was led by spokesperson Saurav Das and co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka, with Azad Samaj Party chief Chandra Shekhar Azad also joining the demonstration. Protesters demanded a thorough investigation and appropriate charges, including provisions of the SC/ST Act and attempt to murder, if supported by evidence.
The controversy has also revived scrutiny of Bhardwaj’s earlier social-media activities. A July report documented a reel attributed to him amid online campaigns against student protesters, which reportedly urged violent action and garnered millions of views before being removed.
Delhi Police, however, has rejected allegations of political interference, saying the accused were detained and questioned and that the victim’s injuries were medically assessed as simple.