Rahul Gandhi vows to punish those responsible for police brutality
Several protesting students and activists joined Rahul Gandhi at the press conference.
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, raised the issue of police brutality during protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Wednesday. Several protesters were present with Rahul at a press conference held at the official residence of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, 10 Janpath. These individuals accused the police of assault, intimidation, and confiscating their phones during detention, sharing their experiences.
Rahul Gandhi said that,
"Amit Shah ji- please pay attention, this is Hindustan. Here, there is neither Hindu nor Muslim. Neither man nor woman. No caste exists. Here, there is only one voice, one protest- this is Hindustan. Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, do not stand against this voice, because no one can stand against it. I urge all the youth and students to keep video evidence."
Rahul Gandhi further stated that,
"When this matter is resolved, we will use this evidence to ensure punishment for everyone from top to bottom. No one will escape."
He appealed to the protesters to record videos of police actions and send them. Rahul mentioned that those responsible would be held accountable. When asked if he would file a First Information Report (FIR) in this matter, he said that the decision should be left to them.
During the press conference, Rahul Gandhi introduced a flutist named Ramit Verma. Ramit played the tune of 'Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye' on the flute. This was presented as a symbolic response to the police's 'lathi' action against the protesters.
Ramit alleged that he was beaten by plainclothes police officers during his detention.
Ramit alleged that,
"People associated with Bajrang Dal and RSS threatened peaceful protesters with sticks and stones and asked the police to detain them. He claimed that he has video evidence of the threats."
Ramit further alleged that,
"On October 11, I was detained at the behest of RSS-Bajrang Dal goons. These were the same goons who were threatening the peaceful protesters. These goons had sticks and stones. The police confiscated many people's phones in the detention bus and deleted data from them. Many did not even get their phones back. There were some female protesters with me in the bus, but no female police officer was present."
He also alleged that,
"Phones of the protesters were confiscated and formatted. According to him, at least 15 women were present there. Samar mentioned an incident from July 20, claiming that a RAF personnel had hit him with a stick that day."
Rahul Gandhi also introduced a female worker from NSUI. He referred to her as 'Sherni' and stated that despite the assault, her spirit remained unbroken.
The worker alleged that during detention, the protesters were severely beaten. She accused female constable Chanchal Yadav of dragging her and assaulting her while taking her to the Connaught Place police station.
According to the NSUI worker, they were trying to stop the police bus to continue the protest. She said that the protesters would get off the bus and sit under it to keep their protest ongoing. She alleged that,
"Inside the bus, a female police officer grabbed her neck and pushed her back, causing her to fall on the seat. After that, she was scratched near her face and ear with nails. According to the worker, when she resisted a bit, she was slapped hard."
She claimed that,
"When she tried to get up, her hair was pulled repeatedly. Ultimately, she fell down, but the assault continued. According to her, during the scuffle, her earring got embedded in her ear. Her ear turned blue and its shape changed due to the injury. She mentioned that that evening, doctors had to remove the earring at the hospital."
The NSUI worker also accused the police officer of threatening her. According to her, she was told not to participate in protests repeatedly and that the police knew about her political leadership. She claimed that the male police officers present did not intervene.
The NSUI worker reported that her colleague Tira from Kerala tried to rescue her near the Connaught Place police station. It is alleged that Tira was also beaten, struck on her private parts, and dragged on the road.
According to her, both were taken to the police station. She claimed that action was taken against her under Section 107 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. In room number 107 of the police station, several women in plain clothes beat her, leaving bruises on her legs. She alleged that the women threatened her while asking about her leader and beat her after locking her in the room.