Chirag Paswan's LJP Files FIR Against Influencer, Swatantra Bhardwaj Detained By Delhi Police

The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) on Friday lodged a complaint against Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj, accusing him of publicly and falsely using party chief Chirag Paswan's name in connection with an assault during a CJP protest in July. The party's legal cell filed the complaint at Parliament Street police station in Delhi.

No formal case had been registered by Friday. A senior police officer said personnel were reviewing the complaint before taking subsequent steps. Delhi Police later apprehended Bhardwaj in Uttar Pradesh following a Cockroach Janta Party demonstration outside Parliament Street police station seeking his custody over his interview remarks about the attack.

The case has also drawn political attention. The LJP (Ram Vilas) said Paswan and the party had nothing to do with Bhardwaj and that it stood with the activist and her injured father.

Assault Case Details

The allegation stems from June 23, when Bhardwaj, 21, and others were accused of attacking Sanjay Azad, 38, who had come to the protest with his 14-year-old daughter.

Azad, a Dalit, suffered serious head injuries. In a recorded interview, Bhardwaj said he "cracked the skull" of the teenager's father during the Jantar Mantar demonstration in July. The victim received 60 stitches, though the influencer avoided going to prison.

Police registered an FIR the same day at Parliament Street police station only under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 115(2) and 126(2). Bhardwaj was briefly detained that day but released hours later. He later claimed on social media that he was friends with top politicians, naming Union minister Chirag Paswan and Delhi minister Kapil Mishra.

Paswan Rejects Claims

Paswan distanced himself from Bhardwaj on Friday. He told reporters that Bhardwaj had misused his name and the names of other leaders, and that he had lodged a complaint against him and demanded action.

"No action despite the accused admitting to an attack that could have been fatal sets a bad example; I take responsibility for ensuring justice for the family," Paswan said.

In the clip that drew wider attention, Bhardwaj said: "I have the blessings of Hanuman upon me. And 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?" There is no evidence to establish that the political leaders named by Bhardwaj intervened on his behalf.

Protests And Police Action

Pressure on the police grew on Friday. CJP representatives, accompanied by Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad and MP Pappu Yadav, met police officers and were assured that action would be taken against Bhardwaj within 72 hours.

The detention came after a protest outside Parliament Street police station by the Cockroach Janta Party demanding Bhardwaj's arrest. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said on X: "Finally, Delhi Police have registered an FIR against the Sanghi goon and said he will be arrested within 72 hours. It took two months and a protest just to get an FIR registered for a hate crime that happened right in front of the police!"

After the protest, police added sections under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Police also lodged another FIR under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and sections of the BNS after a complaint alleged that the minor had received rape threats from Bhardwaj.

Bhardwaj describes himself as a "Swatantra Sanatani Yodha" on his profile. Photographs circulated with the case show him with Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Delhi minister Kapil Mishra and Union Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan.