Opposition parties slammed the BJP after influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj claimed Delhi minister Kapil Mishra helped him evade arrest for assaulting student activist Nishu Azad's father Sanjay Kumar.
Bhardwaj claimed in a viral video that he cracked Kumar's skull during a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar and bragged about backing from top leaders.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, and TMC MP Mahua Moitra questioned the government over alleged political shielding and police inaction.
Opposition parties have targeted the BJP after a video surfaced in which self-styled influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj claimed a phone call from Delhi minister Kapil Mishra helped him avoid jail after he allegedly attacked the father of a student protester. Bhardwaj has been accused of assaulting Sanjay Kumar, the father of student activist Nishu Azad, during a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar.
Bhardwaj discussed the assault on camera. He cited backing from Mishra, Union minister Chirag Paswan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi asked why the influencer avoided jail and whether he received political protection.
Delhi Police dismissed reports of severe trauma. In an update on X, the office of the deputy commissioner of police, New Delhi, clarified that Kumar sustained a head wound from a kada during a scuffle, dismissing assertions of a broken skull.
Video Claims And Reaction
"I cracked the skull of Nishu's father. Do you know which section this crime attracts? Section 307. He needed 60 stitches. The man was being taken away in an ambulance in a serious condition. His daughter was standing outside the police station and saying that she would die by suicide if her father didn't get justice. But I was not even jailed. The world should know this. I was out and about through the night," Bhardwaj is heard saying in the video.
"I have the blessings of Hanuman. 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? Do you know Modi ji? Modi ji is also my elder brother. I have everyone's support," he says.
PTI contacted Mishra and Paswan for their response but received no reply. Gandhi questioned why Bhardwaj was not sent to jail and whether he was being shielded politically.
Police Reject Injury Claims
In a post on X, the office of the deputy commissioner of police, New Delhi, said: "On 23.06.2026, at Jantar Mantar, during the CJP protest, Sanjay Kumar (38), a resident of Ghaziabad, sustained a head injury by Kada worn by one of the alleged during a scuffle. "He was medically examined by doctors of RML Hospital, and the injuries were opined to be simple in nature. The injuries were made by kada and not by any weapon. The misinformation regarding crack in skull is not supported by facts/ MLC and is completely baseless," the post said.
Police also set out the procedural status of the case. "They were detained from the site and during investigation, Suraj Kumar (24) and Swatantra Bhardwaj (21) were served notices as per law and were interrogated. Due legal action has been taken, and chargesheet would be filed before the competent court soon. "Any allegation of undue influence or interference in the matter is factually incorrect and baseless. The matter has been dealt with strictly in accordance with law and procedures," it said.
The case was registered at Parliament Street police station on Kumar’s statement. Police said Kumar suffered a head injury from a kada worn by one of the men in a scuffle and that RML Hospital doctors found the injuries simple in nature.
Opposition Escalates Pressure
Congress, AAP and TMC backed Azad after the video spread online. Gandhi wrote: "Nishu, there's no need to panic. I'm with you. 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."
He then tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and asked: "Why does such a criminal have the protection of you and the people in your party? Will there be action now, or will you keep shielding someone?" Gandhi was replying to Azad, who wrote: "I will fight and I will win this battle."
Azad had earlier raised fears over her family’s safety in a post on X. "I'm worried about my and my family's safety, but I won't be scared -- I will continue my fight against injustice and casteism. @DelhiPolice is not taking any action, and we hope that all the opposition leaders will deliver justice to me, a daughter of the Dalit community," she wrote on X.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal also attacked Modi after sharing the clip. "You absolutely must watch this video. Your blood will boil. Did heroes like Bhagat Singh sacrifice their lives for this, that one day the country would get a prime minister who would openly protect such thugs?" Kejriwal asked.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra targeted Shah over the allegations. "So shouldn't the movement for Amit Shah's resignation continue? Isn't he responsible? Sept 5 March was called off because 20 odd Delhi FIRs were recalled but isn't this also part of the brutality which will go unaccounted for?" Moitra asked.
CJP said its members would reach Parliament Street police station at 10am on Friday to demand action against Bhardwaj and seek justice for Kumar and Azad, and questioned why Delhi Police had not acted on what it described as an "open admission". Responding to that call, Azad said, "I will be coming with my father."
The outfit demanded harsher legal provisions. Sanjay Kumar suffered the assault during the July demonstration at Jantar Mantar while his daughter documented the protest. CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said the severe wound required an attempt-to-murder charge. Adding the non-bailable offence would have triggered the influencer's immediate custody, Das added.
Police officers rejected the plea. Das said deputy commissioner Sachin Sharma and Assistant Commissioner Ajay Sharma told demonstrators to "go get a court order". Questioning the minister's role on X, Das wrote: "So tell us, why should (minister Kapil) Mishra not be made an accomplice in the FIR since he illegally interfered with the course of justice? Why should he not resign for protecting gang members and abusing his office? Does BJP's leadership support this?"
Bhardwaj Profile
His Instagram account has 1.84 lakh followers. His profile describes him as a "Swatantra Sanatani Yodha". He has posted several videos targeting people involved in the CJP agitation.
In a video posted during the July 20 protest, he called the protesters "terrorists" and "cockroaches" and demanded that "staunch sanatanis" like him be allowed to act as Delhi Police personnel for a day. The latest episode has renewed focus on how police handled the assault case and on Bhardwaj’s own claims of political access.
