New Delhi: The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) has filed a police complaint against Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj, accusing him of falsely invoking the name of party president and Union Minister Chirag Paswan while speaking about an alleged assault on the father of a student activist.
The complaint was submitted by the party’s legal cell at the Parliament Street police station in New Delhi on Friday. A senior police officer said the complaint was being examined for further action and that no case had been registered on the basis of the party’s complaint so far.
The LJP (Ram Vilas) has maintained that neither Paswan nor the party has any association with Bhardwaj and expressed support for the activist and her injured father.
What Did Swatantra Bhardwaj Claim?
The controversy intensified after a video clip from an interview surfaced in which Bhardwaj purportedly claimed that he had assaulted the activist’s father during a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar in July.
In the video, Bhardwaj allegedly boasted about causing a serious head injury to the man, which he claimed required around 60 stitches, while also saying that he had managed to avoid jail.
During the same interview, Bhardwaj invoked the names of several political figures, including Paswan, Delhi minister Kapil Mishra and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while suggesting that he enjoyed their support.
Photographs of Bhardwaj with several political leaders have also circulated. However, there is no evidence establishing that any of the politicians named by him intervened with police or helped him avoid arrest.
Chirag Paswan Demands Action Against Bhardwaj
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Paswan accused Bhardwaj of misusing his name and those of other political leaders.
Paswan confirmed that a complaint had been lodged and called for action in the case. He also raised concerns over the alleged assault, saying failure to act despite the accused’s purported public admission would send the wrong message.
The party said it stood with the student activist and her father and sought protection from what it described as Bhardwaj’s “false” public claims.
Delhi Police Detains Bhardwaj In Uttar Pradesh
Delhi Police detained Bhardwaj in Uttar Pradesh on Friday, hours after members of the CJP held a protest outside Parliament Street police station demanding his arrest over the alleged assault.
The protest was also attended by Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad and MP Pappu Yadav.
CJP representatives had met police officials and said they were assured that action would be taken against Bhardwaj within 72 hours.
Police are continuing to examine the allegations and circumstances surrounding the July incident.
