Union Minister Chirag Paswan has called for an impartial investigation into the alleged assault of Sanjay Kumar, father of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activist Nishu Azad, saying that any failure to act despite an alleged public admission of the assault would set a “very wrong precedent” for the country.
Paswan said he had lodged a formal complaint with the Delhi Police after the alleged attacker, self-styled Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bharadwaj, purportedly spoke about the incident on a podcast.
“The incident is extremely serious. If someone openly admits to assaulting another person so severely that it could potentially have resulted in their death, and no action is taken even after such an admission, it sets a very wrong precedent for the country and the public,” Paswan said.
The controversy relates to an alleged assault on Sanjay Kumar during a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in June. According to reports, Bharadwaj was accused of attacking Nishu’s father during a clash at the protest. A video clip of an interview with Bharadwaj subsequently went viral in which he allegedly claimed to have “cracked the skull” of Sanjay Kumar and suggested that he had avoided arrest despite the seriousness of the alleged offence.
The CJP has been demanding Bharadwaj’s arrest and has alleged that the police initially failed to take adequate action. The Delhi Police has since assured CJP representatives that the accused would be arrested within 72 hours, while relevant provisions of the SC/ST Act were also added to the FIR, according to reports. Police have also agreed to conduct a medical examination to assess whether an attempt-to-murder charge is applicable.
Paswan said the matter was particularly concerning because his name, along with those of other politicians, had allegedly been invoked by the accused.
“Given the gravity of the matter, and since that individual has misused my name, along with the names of several other politicians, I have lodged a formal complaint against him and have urged the Delhi Police to conduct an impartial investigation,” he said.
The minister also expressed solidarity with Sanjay Kumar and his family, saying his party would support them in their pursuit of justice.
“Given the situation Sanjay ji is in today, both my party and I stand firmly with him and his family. Ensuring justice for them is a responsibility that both I and my party fully accept,” Paswan said.
He added that he would seek to ensure that the facts of the case were established and that appropriate legal action followed.
“We will ensure that the truth comes to light and that appropriate action is taken as soon as possible against the person who is openly making a mockery of the law,” he said.
Nishu Azad, a student activist associated with the CJP, came into the spotlight after the alleged assault on her father during the protest. She subsequently joined protests outside the Parliament Street Police Station demanding action against those responsible. She has also reportedly faced online abuse and rape threats in connection with the controversy.
The CJP emerged in 2026 as a youth-led satirical political movement and has organised protests around issues including unemployment, education and alleged institutional failures. Its organisers describe it as a movement rather than a conventional registered political party.
Comments (0)