Swatantra Bhardwaj
His Facebook page, which has around 3.27 lakh followers, contains numerous posts centred on Hindutva, cow protection, criticism of Muslims and government detractors, along with photographs portraying his proximity to political leaders and official events. Bhardwaj had earlier posted photographs of invitations he received for the swearing-in ceremony of the Narendra Modi government on June 9, 2024. Section 307. He needed 60 stitches.
His daughter was standing outside the police station and saying that she would die by suicide if her father didn’t get justice,” as news agency PTI reported. They say Kapil Mishra called and I was released. He was later detained in Bulandshahr. (With Agency Inputs) You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi Stay updated with the latest Delhi news.
Bhardwaj, who describes himself as a “Sanatani Yodha”, was detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr on Friday, hours after Delhi Police assured Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters that he would be arrested within 72 hours in connection with the alleged assault on Sanjay Kumar, father of student activist Nishu Azad, during the July 20 protest in Delhi. The detention followed the circulation of a video clip from an interview in which Bhardwaj is heard claiming that he had “cracked the skull” of Kumar, leaving him with injuries that required 60 stitches, and yet escaped imprisonment. On Thursday, a day before his detention, Bhardwaj shared a screenshot showing his name trending on X and captioned it, “Love you all Virodhi”, as news agency PTI reported. He also posted a photograph on Instagram displaying a ‘kada’ on his wrist with the caption “Feel the power!”, apparently referencing Delhi Police’s statement that Kumar’s injury was caused by a ‘kada’ and “not by any weapon”. His Facebook page features photographs taken at the Red Fort on August 15 carrying hashtags such as “#sanatanihero” and “#gaurakshak”. The Union minister for food processing industries said he had lodged a complaint against Bhardwaj and sought action against him. He then referred to several political leaders while explaining why, according to him, he had little reason to worry. Multiple teams were deployed to locate Bhardwaj, according to police officials. Officials said he was wearing a helmet, apparently to conceal his identity.
NEW DELHI: Influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj had amassed a significant social media following through provocative posts, displays of political proximity and controversial statements long before a video of him allegedly boasting about assaulting a protester’s father at Jantar Mantar went viral. A review of Bhardwaj’s social media accounts shows that such remarks were consistent with the image he had cultivated online. In another post, he shared an invitation issued in his name by the Ministry of Defence for this year’s Independence Day celebrations. His social media accounts also contain photographs with political leaders, including Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Delhi minister Kapil Mishra and Union minister Chirag Paswan. “Do you know which section this crime attracts? The man was being taken away in an ambulance in serious condition. “But I was not even jailed. The world should know this. I was out and about through the night,” Bhardwaj is heard saying in the video. “I have the blessings of Hanuman upon me. And secondly, Kapil Mishra is my elder brother. Chirag Paswan is my elder brother. How many leaders do you know? Do you know Modi ji? Modi ji is also my elder brother. I have everyone’s support,” he claimed. He allegedly fled Naithla village on a motorcycle towards Khurja before police could apprehend him. Download the TOI App.
Paswan told reporters on Friday that Bhardwaj had misused his name and that of several other leaders.
One post shared on May 22 depicts Bhardwaj holding the bloodied chin of a man. His Instagram account, which had around 1.84 lakh followers, was deactivated on Friday. Bhardwaj also runs a verified X account with more than 6,400 followers.
“No action despite the accused admitting to an attack that could have been fatal sets a bad example; I take responsibility for ensuring justice for the family,” Paswan said. The accompanying text refers to “Mughal” and includes the words “aa gaya swad”. Several posts on Bhardwaj’s accounts feature what appear to be AI-generated images showing him alongside women wearing burqas or hijabs. Its bio reads: “A Modern-Day Youngster Who Can’t Tolerate Anything Against His DHARMA and RASHTRA. As the video related to the alleged assault on Kumar gained traction online, several older clips featuring Bhardwaj also resurfaced. In some, he is purportedly heard making inflammatory remarks against Muslims and critics of the government. In others, he boasts about his political connections and claims he is unafraid of arrest. In the interview clip that sparked renewed attention, Bhardwaj claimed responsibility for attacking Nishu Azad’s father.
However, there is no evidence to suggest that any of the political leaders named by Bhardwaj intervened on his behalf in the case. The video reignited demands for action against him, with protesters raising the issue during the CJP demonstration in Delhi on Friday.
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