‘I Will Do It Again’: Swatantra Bhardwaj Stands By Jantar Mantar Attack, CJP Steps Up Arrest Demand
New Delhi: The man at the centre of the Jantar Mantar assault row has said he has no regrets about hitting the father of student protester Nishu Azad with an iron kada, insisting that he acted in self defence and would do it again if faced with a similar situation.
Swatantra Bhardwaj made the remarks in an interview as members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) stepped up their demand for his arrest over the June 23 incident. Bhardwaj said he was surrounded during the confrontation and feared for his safety. The kada, he said, was used because he believed he had no other option.
The remarks have brought the incident back into the spotlight, particularly after an earlier podcast clip surfaced in which Bhardwaj appeared to claim that he had “cracked” Sanjay Kumar’s skull. He also spoke about not being jailed after the incident. Bhardwaj has since described those comments as joking and rejected the suggestion that they represented an admission of criminal intent.
CJP members, meanwhile, have been pressing the Delhi Police for stronger action. Party spokesperson Saurav Das and co convenor Ashutosh Ranka were among those who went to Parliament Street Police Station, demanding Bhardwaj’s arrest and questioning the handling of the case.
The police version differs sharply from some of the claims circulating online. According to Delhi Police, the case was registered and Bhardwaj, along with another accused, Suraj Kumar, was detained and questioned. Police have also rejected claims that Sanjay Kumar suffered a skull fracture.
The medical examination at RML Hospital, according to police, recorded minor injuries caused by a metal bracelet, or kada. Police have denied allegations of political pressure or interference and said the investigation is continuing, with a chargesheet to follow.
The FIR says the confrontation began during the protest after a dispute over filming. Sanjay Kumar was allegedly questioned about recording the proceedings, following which an argument broke out and he was surrounded and assaulted.
For CJP, however, Bhardwaj’s latest comments have added another dimension to the case. The group argues that his public defence of the assault warrants immediate action. Bhardwaj, on the other hand, continues to maintain that he was defending himself.
With the two sides offering sharply different accounts of what happened at Jantar Mantar, the police investigation and the evidence placed before the court will ultimately determine what happened and whether Bhardwaj’s claim of self defence stands up legally.
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