Podcast Boast Over Jantar Mantar Assault Triggers Political Row, Arrest
Right-wing influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj was arrested after a viral podcast where he claimed to have seriously injured a man at a June protest in Delhi.
A June altercation at a Delhi protest site has snowballed into a major political controversy after a right-wing influencer's podcast remarks went viral. Swatantra Bhardwaj, a 21-year-old social media personality, was detained by Delhi Police on Saturday from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, following days of protests demanding his arrest.
The controversy stems from an incident on June 23 at the 'Cockroach Janata Party' protest at Jantar Mantar. Police say an argument broke out when Bhardwaj and his associates were being filmed. In the ensuing scuffle, Bhardwaj struck a 38-year-old man from Ghaziabad on the head with a 'kada' (metal bangle). The man was at the protest with his minor daughter.
Both sides were taken to a police station, and an FIR was registered against both parties under bailable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including voluntarily causing hurt and wrongful restraint. Police maintain the man's injury was classified as 'simple' in his medical examination at RML Hospital, contradicting Bhardwaj's later claims.
The case took a political turn when a podcast clip surfaced in which Bhardwaj boasted of having "cracked open" the man's skull, claiming the victim needed 60 stitches. He also alleged he avoided an attempted murder charge due to his political connections, naming Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra and Union Minister Chirag Paswan.
Speaking to media, Bhardwaj dismissed his podcast remarks as a joke but stated he would attack people again if needed. The victim's family has contested the police's assessment of the injury, and the CJP and Bhim Army have launched protests, alleging police inaction.
Following discussions with protestors on September 4, the Delhi Police added sections of the SC/ST Act to the FIR, noting the victim belongs to a Dalit family. A decision on adding attempted murder charges is pending a fresh medical examination.
Separately, the minor girl has filed a complaint alleging online abuse and threats, including morphed images. Police have registered another FIR under the POCSO Act and IT Act, naming Bhardwaj as an accused.