Hindutva influencer accused in Jantar Mantar assault boasts links to Kapil Mishra

Opposition parties and the Cockroach Janta Party on Thursday targeted the BJP after a video surfaced in which self-styled Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj — accused of attacking a student agitator’s father during the July protest at Jantar Mantar -- purportedly claimed that a phone call from Delhi minister Kapil Mishra helped him avoid jail.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi questioned the lack of action against Bhardwaj, asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah why the influencer enjoyed their “protection”. In the video, Bhardwaj is heard speaking about his attack on Sanjay Kumar, father of protester Nishu Azad.

“I cracked the skull of Nishu’s father. Do you know which section this crime attracts? Section 307. He needed 60 stitches. The man was being taken away in an ambulance in a serious condition. His daughter was standing outside the police station and saying that she would die by suicide if her father didn’t get justice. 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. Secondly, Kapil Mishra is my elder brother. They say Kapil Mishra called and I was released. 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 says.

PTI reached out to Kapil Mishra and Chirag Paswan for their response, but received no response. In the evening, Delhi Police took to microblogging site X to claim that Kumar sustained a head injury from a kada (bangle) during a scuffle.

“On 23.06.2026, at Jantar Mantar, during the CJP protest, Sanjay Kumar (38), a resident of Ghaziabad, sustained a head injury by Kada worn by one of the alleged during a scuffle.

“He was medically examined by doctors of RML Hospital, and the injuries were opined to be simple in nature. The injuries were made by kada and not by any weapon. The misinformation regarding crack in skull is not supported by facts/ MLC and is completely baseless,” a post on the official X handle of DCP New Delhi read.

It said a case was registered at the Parliament Street police station on Kumar’s statement.

“They were detained from the site and during investigation, Suraj Kumar (24) and Swatantra Bhardwaj (21) were served notices as per law and were interrogated. Due legal action has been taken, and chargesheet would be filed before the competent court soon.

“Any allegation of undue influence or interference in the matter is factually incorrect and baseless. The matter has been dealt with strictly in accordance with law and procedures,” the post further read.

Around the time the police issued its statement, Bhardwaj posted a picture of himself on Instagram showing his kada, with the caption “Feel the power!”

Opposition parties, including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) came out in support of the student protester and slammed the BJP Government.

Rahul Gandhi said on X, “Nishu, there’s no need to panic. I’m with you. It’s clear that you’re being targeted because you raise your voice for the rights of your community and students. Amit Shah’s Delhi Police, on one hand, commits inhuman brutality against students. On the other hand, the criminal who smashed the head of a Dalit girl’s father is roaming freely in the open.”

Tagging Modi and Shah in the post, he asked, “Why does such a criminal have the protection of you and the people in your party? Will there be action now, or will you keep shielding someone?”

Gandhi was responding to the student’s post in which she expressed hope that the opposition leader will deliver justice to them. “I will fight and I will win this battle,” she wrote.

Earlier, after Bhardwaj’s video went viral, she had expressed concern over her family’s safety.

“I’m worried about my and my family’s safety, but I won’t be scared -- I will continue my fight against injustice and casteism. @DelhiPolice is not taking any action, and we hope that all the opposition leaders will deliver justice to me, a daughter of the Dalit community,” she wrote on X.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal shared Bhardwaj’s video on his X account and attacked Modi.

“You absolutely must watch this video. Your blood will boil. Did heroes like Bhagat Singh sacrifice their lives for this, that one day the country would get a prime minister who would openly protect such thugs?” Kejriwal asked.

TMC Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra targeted Amit Shah, saying that a movement seeking his resignation should continue in light of the latest allegations.

“So shouldn’t the movement for Amit Shah’s resignation continue? Isn’t he responsible? Sept 5 March was called off because 20-odd Delhi FIRs were recalled but isn’t this also part of the brutality which will go unaccounted for?” Moitra asked.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demanded action against Bhardwaj and questioned why Delhi Police had not acted on an “open admission”. The outfit announced that its members would reach Parliament Street police station at 10 am on Friday to seek justice for Sanjay Kumar and Nishu Azad.

Responding to the announcement, Nishu said, “I will be coming with my father.”

Kumar was attacked during the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar in July, when his daughter had been participating in and documenting the student agitation.

CJP spokesperson Saurav Das alleged that Kumar’s “skull was cracked open” and that the nature of the wound warranted an attempt-to-murder charge, but police refused to add it to the FIR.

Das said such a provision would have led to Bhardwaj’s immediate arrest as it was a cognisable and non-bailable offence. However, Deputy Commissioner Sachin Sharma and Assistant Commissioner Ajay Sharma refused the demand and asked them to “go get a court order”.

“So tell us, why should (minister Kapil) Mishra not be made an accomplice in the FIR since he illegally interfered with the course of justice? Why should he not resign for protecting gang members and abusing his office? Does BJP’s leadership support this?” Das wrote on X.

Bhardwaj has a sizeable social media presence, with 1.84 lakh users following his Instagram account. His profile describes him as a “Swatantra Sanatani Yodha”.

He had posted several videos on his Instagram account targeting those participating in the CJP agitation.

In a video posted during the July 20 protest, he called the protesters “terrorists” and “cockroaches” and demanded that “staunch sanatanis” like him be allowed to act as Delhi Police personnel for a day.