Why are you shielding him?: Rahul Gandhi targets Amit Shah over assault case

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Police of protecting a man allegedly involved in attacking a Dalit student protester’s father. Gandhi pledged support to the family, while Congress demanded action and questioned the alleged political protection

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Home Minister Amit Shah of protecting a man who allegedly attacked the father of a Dalit student protester and asked whether any action will be taken against the accused, extending his full support in getting justice in the case.

Nishu Azad, who participated in the protest at Jantar Mantar in July, had sought Gandhi’s support in getting justice in the case after she alleged that the Delhi Police was not taking any action in bringing to book the attacker of her father, who had sustained head injuries after the attack.

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A video of alleged attacker Swatantra Bhardwaj, a self-styled Hindutva influencer, has surfaced online in which he purportedly claimed that a phone call from Delhi minister Kapil Mishra helped him avoid jail.

In the video, Bhardwaj is heard speaking about the attack on Sanjay, father of teenage protester Nishu, and claiming that the latter suffered a serious head injury requiring 60 stitches.

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, “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.” The leader of opposition in Lok Sabha attacked Shah and Delhi Police over the issue.

“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 said.

“Narendra Modi ji, Amit Shah ji – 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?” he asked.

“Nishu, your fight is not alone. We won’t stop until justice is served. Jai Bhim. Jai Samvidhan,” Gandhi said. Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal also attacked the government over the issue.

“In India, a rabid rioter can proudly proclaim that PM Modi, various MLAs and ruling party leaders are his ‘bhai’ who will look after him for breaking the skull of a Dalit protester’s father,” Venugopal said on X. This is a regime of “the thugs, the street goons, the rabid criminals”, he said. “We stand with Nishu and her father, we will fight until justice is delivered for them,” the Congress leader added.

Responding to Gandhi’s post, Nishu said, “I didn’t expect that Rahul Gandhi ji would actually tweet about it. Now that I’ve got the support of a big leader like Rahul Gandhi ji, I’ll get justice, and Swatantra Bhardwaj will have to go to jail.” She earlier posted a video on X, saying, “I now have hope from the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi that he will surely help us get justice. I will fight and I will win this battle.”

In her video message, she said a video of Swatantra Bhardwaj is being circulated where he himself admits that he caused head injuries to her father and he should have been booked under Section 307 for attempt to murder.

“When he caused head injuries to my father, we got an FIR lodged against him but the police are not taking any action on it even though over 1.5 months have passed. “The police are not doing anything and is befooling us in the name of medical examination. We have lost all hope… I now pin my hopes on Rahul Gandhi. I have hope that Rahul Gandhi will help me get justice,” she said.

“Such people (attackers) should be in the jail, especially those who do not admit their mistakes and are instead proudly telling people about their deeds.

“Really, I request you Rahul Gandhi ji. I need your help. Please help me get justice,” she said. The Congress, AAP and the CJP on Thursday targeted the BJP after the video purportedly featuring the alleged attacker surfaced on social media.

“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 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 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. Do you know Modi ji? Modi ji is also my elder brother. I have everyone’s support,” he says. PTI reached out to Mishra and Paswan for their response to the allegations but received no comment.