Video: Hindutva leader assaults CJP student protesters, forces apology
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Siasat photo.
New Delhi: A senior member of a Hindutva extremist group allegedly threatened, intimidated and assaulted two college students in New Delhi, with a video of the incident triggering widespread outrage and drawing condemnation from Opposition parties and civil society.
The video shows Satyam Pandat, national president of the Rashtriya Hindu Veer Sena and a supporter of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stopping the students and asking whether they were Hindus or Muslims. After learning that both were Hindus, he questioned why they were participating in the protest against the government before allegedly assaulting them and forcing them to apologise for joining the demonstration.
Inse Miliye, Ye hain Satyam Pandat, Rashtriya Hindu Veer Sena ke Rashtriya Adhyaksh. Chhote Baccho pe apni Mardangi dikhate hue... pic.twitter.com/GU0noRHXFn
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) July 25, 2026
The incident came to light a day after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25 following a 36-day student agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The resignation sparked celebrations among protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar.
As the video spread widely on social media, it drew sharp criticism, with many condemning the alleged intimidation and assault of the students.
Responding to the backlash on Sunday, Pandat defended his actions, claiming the gathering was not a protest against the NEET examination but an anti-national demonstration. He alleged that the students had abused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Delhi Police and had made remarks against Hindu deities and the Brahmin community. He also claimed that a woman Delhi Police officer had died during the protest and maintained that he was being targeted for speaking out against such actions.
His defence failed to quell the criticism, with many social media users accusing him of attempting to communalise the student movement and create a communally charged atmosphere through his actions.