Published Sep 04, 2026 | 7:48 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 04, 2026 | 7:51 PM
Swantantra Bhardwaj claimed in a podcast that he had "cracked open the skull" of Cockroach Janata Party protester Nishu Azad's father. (Screengrab)
Synopsis: Despite a reported attempt to evade arrest, Swatantra Bhardwaj was arrested a few hours after the police promised the Cockroach Janta Party that he would be picked up within 72 hours. Bhardwaj had claimed that he had attacked CJP protester Nishu Azad’s father, and cracked open his skull.
Hindutva activist Swantantra Bhardwaj was detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr on Friday, 4 September, for allegedly assaulting a student protester’s father in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in July.
Bharadwaj claimed in a podcast that he had “cracked open the skull” of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protester Nishu Azad’s father, Sanjay Kumar, during the successful agitation that sought the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as the Education Minister over the NEET paper leak.
The podcast went viral, and the CJP marched to the Parliament Street Police Station, demanding Bharadwaj’s arrest. Both CJP and Nishu later said the police had promised to arrest the Hindutva activist within 72 hours.
Police deployed multiple teams, including plainclothesmen, to nab Bhardwaj. Though he fled his Naithala village on a motorcycle towards Khurja, police hunted him down.
Earlier in the day, Bhardwaj, who described himself as “kattar (hardcore) Hindu”, said he had attacked Kumar in self-defence. He also alleged that the earlier video was fake.
In the previous video, he boasted that his connections with placed politicians, including Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra, helped him evade arrest. He also claimed that the pair of shoes he has been wearing, and the lathi which he used to attack Kumar, belonged to the police.
Azad, speaking to reporters after meeting the police, said she had been facing verbal and rape threats. “I was ashamed of even stepping out,” she said. “For a few weeks, I could not go to school. I felt everyone was judging me.”
After the podcast, opposition leaders and the CJP stepped in support of Azad and her father.
Pledging solidarity with Azad in her efforts to bring to book those who had attacked her father, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said, 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.”
Amid allegations of complicity and submitting to political influence, Delhi Police rejected the claims raised by Bhardwaj and said that Kumar had sustained only a minor injury.
Also Read: Delhi police officers allegedly assault Muslim women journalists
In a one-hour podcast in Hindi that is available on the YouTube channel ‘The Casual Talk’, Bhardwaj proudly explained the events that happened on July 20 and claimed that he did not have to go to jail because he had the blessings of senior BJP leaders, including Delhi Labour Minister Kapil Mishra.
“Nishu ke baap ka hum sir faade hain (I cracked open the skull of Nishu’s father),” he said.
Bhardwaj claimed Kumar could have lost his life in the assault and that charges of attempted murder applied to the crime he committed.
The self-proclaimed Hindutva activist proudly stated that even as Azad told the police that she would take her own life if her father didn’t get justice, he did not have to go to jail for the assault.
“You know which section applies? 307. Half-murder. He needed 60 stitches on his head, okay? Bugger was almost dying in the ambulance. His daughter was standing outside the police station and saying that if my father does not get justice, I will kill myself by consuming poison. Okay? Swatantra was out the next day. I did not even go to jail,” Bhardwaj boasted.
“The whole world should know, I didn’t even go to jail. I was roaming around all night,” he stressed.
He further claimed that the Delhi Police let him go after they received a call from Minister Kapil Mishra. He also claimed that he had the support of BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I have Hanumanji’s blessings. Also, Kapil Mishra is like my elder brother. They say Kapil Mishra called, and I was released. Kapil Mishra is my elder brother, Chirag Paswan is my elder brother, all of them. Tell me which leader you know? You know Modi ji? Modi ji is also my elder brother. I have everyone’s support,” he said.
He also admitted to roaming around the protest site and attacking students disguised as Delhi police personnel.
“Can you see my shoe? This shoe is Delhi police’s. I don’t fill out any form, but automatically I roam around like Delhi police. My shoe is Delhi police’s, baton, etc everything is Delhi police’s,” he said.
