Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday held a press conference with students who alleged that they were assaulted by Delhi Police personnel during protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Several protesters recounted alleged instances of physical violence during detention, including assaults inside buses and at a police station. Atira, one of the protesters, alleged that a female police officer punched her in areas without CCTV coverage, including her private parts. Another protester, Ritu Barala, accused the same officer of strangling her, pulling her hair and assaulting her during detention.
A content creator identified as Ramit alleged that protesters were detained following intervention by supporters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He claimed that demonstrators were beaten with batons and had their mobile phones snatched.
The allegations come amid a series of demonstrations against the SIR exercise and demands for Kumar's resignation. The INDIA bloc has held five protests so far seeking his removal and raising concerns over the electoral roll revision.
Rahul Gandhi asks students to preserve evidence
Addressing the protesters, Gandhi said the movement transcended religious and caste divisions and accused those in power of attempting to suppress the voices of young people. He urged students to record incidents and preserve evidence of alleged misconduct.
“Look, this is India, it has no caste,” Gandhi said.
He added: “This is India. Amit Shah ji, there is no Hindu or Muslim here, no caste. You cannot stand in the way of this voice. I want to tell the students: Make videos and keep them. We will keep that evidence. When everything is over, everyone will be punished based on that evidence. Whether it's the police or Gyanesh Kumar, they are the voice of the nation. And efforts are being made to suppress this voice.”
Gandhi also pointed to protester Ritu Barala and described her as a “lioness”. When asked whether she had been frightened during the protest, Barala replied that she had not been scared.
Women protesters allege assault during detention
Atira, who said she was deaf in one ear, alleged that she was assaulted after being detained. She claimed there were no female police officers on the bus initially, before a female officer, identified as Chanchal Yadav, arrived from Connaught Place and took her to the basement of a police station.
“There was no CCTV there, so she punched me there,” Atira alleged, adding that she had marks around her eyes and mouth. She further accused the officer of hitting her in her private parts.
Barala also alleged that Yadav assaulted her during detention. According to Barala, the students had been protesting peacefully as members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) before being bundled into buses.
She said that when the protesters tried to get off the bus, Yadav grabbed her by the neck, pushed her back and caused her to fall. Barala alleged that the officer scratched her with her nails, slapped her and repeatedly pulled her hair while pushing her back and forth inside the vehicle.
Barala further claimed that the officer tightened her grip around her neck and crushed her ears. She alleged that, after the bus stopped at Connaught Place, Yadav dragged two women protesters on to the road and assaulted them in their private parts.
The protesters were subsequently taken to a police station, Barala said. She alleged that an officer taunted them by asking where their leader, Rahul Gandhi, had gone.
Barala also claimed that she was struck on the legs with sticks and challenged to become a leader. She said she responded that she would meet the officer again at another protest.
“This is the battle of Kurukshetra, we have to win it,” Barala said, recounting her response.
Protesters allege beatings and phone seizure
Adira, a protester from Kerala, said demonstrators were packed into a bus after being arrested and taken to the Connaught Place police station. She alleged that Yadav was present there and that the protesters were taken to the basement.
Ramit, who identified himself as a content creator, said he was detained on October 11 after what he described as intervention by RSS and BJP supporters. He alleged that the individuals had batons and that police personnel acted on their intervention to detain protesters and beat them.
Ramit also claimed that demonstrators' mobile phones were snatched and that no female police officers were present during the incident.
“The response to their batons is batons,” he said.
The allegations form part of wider complaints about the handling of demonstrations against Kumar and the SIR exercise. The protesters' accounts at the press conference have not independently established the alleged incidents. The claims of assault and misconduct remain allegations, and no response from the officers named by the protesters was included in the statements provided.