NEW DELHI: CJP protester Nishu Azad on Friday clarified her earlier remarks in a video referring to “Modi ji ki terahvi”, saying she was reading text written on a board in the background and that the remarks did not reflect her personal views.Speaking about the video, which went viral during the CJP’s Jantar Mantar protest, Nishu said she had not made the statement based on her own thoughts or opinions.“A video of mine went viral in which I said, ‘Modi ji’s Terahvi.’ If you look closely at the background, you’ll see a board. I simply said what was written there and recorded the video. I did not say it based on my own thoughts or opinions; I was reading what was written on the board,” she said.The video, which Nishu had posted on social media with the caption “Modi ji ki 13vi ka khana kha lo..”, showed her standing near a board referring to “Modi ki 13vi ka khaana”. In the video, she can be heard telling viewers that they could come and have samosas and “enjoy” the food.Nishu said the video was subsequently presented in a negative manner on social media. She also said that while people could disagree with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s conduct or work, questioning him was a constitutional right.“He is the Prime Minister of our country; one could even call him a great man, given that he is leading the nation. We cannot abuse him, but if we are unhappy with certain aspects of his conduct or his work, we can question him; there is nothing wrong with that. The Constitution grants us this right,” she said.
Clarification comes amid Bhardwaj controversy
Nishu’s clarification comes amid a wider controversy involving Swatantra Bhardwaj, who has been accused of assaulting Nishus’s father, Sanjay Azad, during a CJP protest at Jantar Mantar.Bhardwaj has now been detained by Delhi Police in Bulandshahr in connection with the case.The controversy had escalated after a podcast interview in which Bhardwaj purportedly spoke about the Jantar Mantar confrontation and claimed that he had “cracked the skull” of Nishu’s father.Police, however, rejected the claim that Azad suffered a skull fracture and said he sustained a simple head injury during a scuffle.Bhardwaj has denied assaulting Azad and maintained that he acted in “self-defence”, claiming he was surrounded by a group of people during the confrontation.
Nishu alleges abuse, rape threats
Nishu also alleged that she had faced verbal abuse and rape threats from Bhardwaj’s supporters following the controversy and said she had filed an FIR.On Friday, CJP representatives, including co-conveners Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka and MPs Chandrashekhar Azad and Pappu Yadav, reached Parliament Street police station demanding action against Bhardwaj.Nishu said police had assured the delegation that Bhardwaj would be arrested within 72 hours. Police subsequently detained him in Bulandshahr.Police have maintained that Azad’s injuries were simple in nature and said further investigation, including examination of CCTV footage and other evidence, was underway.
