Raised anti-Ram slogans: Right-wing leader defends assault on student protesters

Ghaziabad-based right-wing activist Satyam Pandit has defended his assault on two men who joined the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests in Delhi, claiming they were raising derogatory slogans against Lord Ram.Pandit's justification came a day after a video of the assault went viral on social media. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav shared the footage on X and accused the BJP and its allies of encouraging violence against dissenters.In an interview with Aaj Tak, India Today's sister channel, Pandit, who heads the self-styled Rashtriya Hindu Veer Sena, said he had gone to the Jantar Mantar on July 24, the epicentre of the CJP protests against the NEET paper leak, where he claimed he saw a group of young men near the Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place "raising slogans against Lord Ram.""I made a mistake by not recording a video," Pandit said, alleging that those participating in the protest were speaking against Goddess Sita and making anti-national statements. "This was not a youth protest. They were demanding freedom from Brahmins," he claimed. Pandit also accused opposition leaders of politicising the incident after the video of the assault went viral."All the opposition leaders, including Akhilesh Yadav, posted my video against me," he said. "I have no fear. If you want to file an FIR, do it. I have no fear of arrest or jail." The activist further claimed he had announced plans to return to Jantar Mantar following the incident but was stopped by the police."I would have treated everyone there, but the police stopped me," he said, without elaborating on what he meant.He also went on to say that if the protests were about NEET, "then stay focused on NEET. Why are you straying away from your own issue? Instead, you're raising slogans against Gods, PM Narendra Modi, attacking IPS officers and CRPF personnel."Ours is a country with one of the world's strongest armed forces, and you're assaulting those who protect it. People call them students, but in my eyes they are not students. A real student is someone who believes in books," he added.The controversy erupted after the video surfaced online showing Pandit confronting two students on a Delhi street. In the footage, he is seen questioning the pair about their names, where they were from, and whether they supported the student protests.After the students acknowledged their support for the protests, Pandit is seen verbally abusing them, grabbing one of them by the collar and slapping him repeatedly.He also questioned their religion, demanded that they apologise on camera for participating in the demonstrations, and warned them against returning to the locality.The assault triggered outrage on social media, with many users demanding action against Pandit.Sharing the clip on X on Saturday, Akhilesh Yadav wrote, "A message to agitators across the country! Let everyone witness the BJP and their allies' misconduct, vile words, and violence."The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister described the incident as an example of the ruling alliance's "audacity" and "historical betrayal."- EndsPublished By: Karishma Saurabh KalitaPublished On: Jul 27, 2026 07:33 IST