Delhi Police detains Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj in Bulandshahr

Hindutva-aligned social media influencer and self-proclaimed political activist Swatantra Bhardwaj was detained in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, on Friday, 4 September, hours after Delhi Police assured protesters that he would be arrested within 72 hours in connection with the alleged assault of the father of student activist Nishu Azad.

Bhardwaj, who describes himself as a ‘kattar (hardline) Hindu’, came under scrutiny after a clip from a podcast went viral in which he appeared to boast that he had "cracked the skull" of Sanjay Kumar during the Cockroach Janta Party-led protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

The incident took place during the protest organised by the CJP demanding the resignation of former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan in July, with Bhardwaj subsequently facing allegations that he assaulted Kumar, who had accompanied his daughter Nishu to the demonstration.

Once his video went viral, Bhardwaj claimed that what he described as an attack was actually an act of self-defence, saying he had been surrounded by 10-15 people and feared he could be lynched. He also dismissed the viral podcast clip as fake and said his remarks about political connections — to Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others — were sarcastic.

Delhi Police, meanwhile, has disputed claims that Kumar suffered a fractured skull. The police said Kumar sustained a head injury during a scuffle and that a medical examination at RML Hospital found the injuries to be 'simple in nature'.

The controversy intensified after the viral video prompted the CJP to demand Bhardwaj's arrest. On Friday itself, CJP supporters protested outside Parliament Street police station, where police assured them that Bhardwaj would be arrested within 72 hours.

Several police teams were subsequently deployed to trace him. According to officials, Bhardwaj had left Naithla village on a Bullet motorcycle towards Khurja before a police team could apprehend him. He was wearing a helmet, apparently in an attempt to conceal his identity.

The CJP has accused Delhi Police of failing to take adequate action against Bhardwaj and has continued to demand stringent action in the case.

Bhardwaj has previously emerged as a prominent voice among a section of the Hindu Right seeking to counter the student-led CJP protests in Delhi. In July, he was among Hindutva activists who publicly spoke about disrupting the demonstrations at Jantar Mantar over examination paper leaks and Pradhan's resignation.

The case has since become part of a wider political row, with Opposition leaders questioning whether Bhardwaj received political protection after the viral video appeared to suggest he had escaped arrest despite the alleged assault. Delhi Police has, unsurprisingly, denied any political interference in the investigation.

With PTI inputs