CJP protest: Supporters protest outside Delhi Police station, demand action against Hindutva influencer

Scores of Cockroach Janta Party CJP supporters gathered outside the Parliament Street police station in Delhi on Friday demanding action against selfstyled Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj who allegedly boasted about assaulting the father of a student protester in a nowviral videoShouting slogans against the Delhi Police the protesters including CJP coconveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka as well as Aazad Samaj Party Kanshi Ram chief and MP Chandra Shekhar Azad accused the police of failing to take stringent action against Bhardwaj reported PTIProtest follows viral video of alleged assaultThe protest was organised after a widely circulated interview with Bhardwaj in which he allegedly claimed to have assaulted Sanjay Kumar father of CJP protester Nishu Azad during a demonstration at Jantar Mantar on July 20Ranka alleged that Sanjay was assaulted during the partys protest at Jantar Mantar and suffered head injuries He claimed that repeated demands for the accuseds arrest and the registration of an attempttomurder case had yielded no action from the Delhi PoliceThe Delhi Police however disputed claims that Sanjay suffered a skull fracture saying he sustained a minor injury during a scuffle and that a case was registered based on his complaintCJP demands attempttomurder caseRanka along with Das and other party supporters proceeded from Patel Chowk to the Parliament Street police station on Friday in connection with the case reported PTIHe alleged that some of those involved in the incident had now openly admitted to assaulting Sanjay and attempting to kill him but the police had not taken action against themRanka further alleged that the inaction was due to the influence of BJP workers and Delhi minister Kapil MishraldquoWe demand that Delhi Police immediately arrest those who have identified themselves as being involved register an attempttomurder case against them and invoke all applicable serious chargesrdquo Ranka saidCJP alleges caste angle in incidentDas alleged that Sanjay is the father of a minor who has been associated with the CJPled protest since its beginning and regularly accompanied her to the sitinHe alleged that while protesters were holding a peaceful demonstration members of a ldquocriminal gangrdquo entered the protest site and resorted to violence reported PTIldquoAfter the FIR was registered we continued putting pressure on the police saying that this was an attempt to murder and that the relevant section should be addedrdquo he addedDas also alleged that there was a caste angle to the incidentldquoWe also demanded that the SCST Act be invoked because they belong to a Dalit familyrdquo he saidAccording to Das when protesters sought further action police officials asked them to approach the court and obtain an orderCJP accuses police of inactionRanka said the CJP and its entire team had stood by Sanjay since the beginning of the incident and accused the police of failing to act despite repeated demandsHe described the alleged inaction as ldquoa shameful day for the country and our democracyrdquo and demanded immediate action against all those allegedly involved in the assaultBhardwaj allegedly claims responsibility in videoThe CJP protest comes after a clip from an interview with Swatantra Bhardwaj who describes himself as a ldquokattar Hindurdquo hardline Hindu circulated widely onlineIn the video Bhardwaj is heard allegedly claiming that he ldquocracked the skullrdquo of Nishu Azads father during the protestldquoDo you know which section this crime attracts Section 307 He needed 60 stitches The man was being taken away in an ambulance in serious condition His daughter was standing outside the police station and saying that she would die by suicide if her father didnt get justice But I was not even jailed The world should know this I was out and about through the nightrdquo Bhardwaj is heard saying in the videoIn the onehour interview which is available on YouTube Bhardwaj also claimed to have political connectionsldquoI 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 Do you know Modi ji Modi ji is also my elder brother I have everyones supportrdquo he said PTI reportedSecurity tightened outside police stationSecurity was stepped up around the police station with additional personnel deployed and barricades put in place to maintain law and orderWith PTI inputsA senior police officer said the police are in contact with CJP officials