Police can break bones but not 'satyagraha': Rahul slams police 'brutalities' against students

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Delhi Police of refusing to register an FIR over the alleged assault on student protesters during recent demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, asserting that police could break bones but could not suppress a satyagraha.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the Congress would pursue every available legal remedy against police personnel accused of assaulting students, including young women, during protests over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Gandhi made the remarks in a post on X while sharing a video of his interaction with injured students, including members of the Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI), whom he had met at Sonia Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence on Wednesday.

"Delhi Police is refusing to register an FIR on the assault of our students. Two young women, Athira from Kerala and Ritu from Rajasthan, along with many others, were beaten by Delhi Police," Gandhi alleged.

He said he had spoken to Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra about initiating legal action against the police personnel concerned.

"A Zero FIR has already been registered in Kerala," he said.

𝗥𝗮𝗵𝘂𝗹 𝘃𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Gandhi asserted that the alleged police action against protesting students would not go unchallenged and that the Congress would pursue the matter through legal channels in different states.

"We will pursue every legal route against the officers responsible, in Kerala, in Rajasthan and in the courts. Brutality by Amit Shah's Delhi Police will not go unchecked," he said.

In the video accompanying his post, Gandhi is seen listening to students recount their experiences during the protests and subsequent detention.

He also makes telephone calls to Chennithala and Dotasra, asking them to initiate the process of registering complaints against a policewoman whom the students accused of assaulting them.

Gandhi said the objective was to establish accountability and ensure that police personnel understood the consequences of engaging in unlawful conduct.

The Congress leader had assured the students during Wednesday's meeting that action would be pursued against those responsible for the alleged excesses, irrespective of their positions.

He had also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to obstruct students exercising their democratic right to protest, describing young demonstrators as the voice of the country.

𝗜𝗻𝗷𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹

Several students who attended the meeting alleged that they had been subjected to inhuman treatment while being detained by police during demonstrations against the Election Commission.

They claimed that police personnel had beaten them, abused them and inflicted injuries, including by striking their private parts, in an attempt to punish them for participating in the protests.

The students alleged that the treatment was intended to intimidate them and discourage further participation in demonstrations.

Their allegations have prompted the Congress leadership to demand legal action against the officers involved.

During the recent protests, large numbers of demonstrators belonging to student organisations and Opposition parties were detained and taken to detention centres away from the main protest locations in Delhi.

The demonstrations were organised against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR exercise, which Opposition parties have alleged could lead to irregularities in electoral rolls and the exclusion of eligible voters.

𝗚𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗵𝗶 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝘀𝗮𝘁𝘆𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗵𝗮

Drawing a parallel with India's freedom struggle, Gandhi invoked the Dharasana Satyagraha of 1930, when non-violent protesters faced police lathi charges during the civil disobedience movement.

"In 1930, at Dharasana, Sarojini Naidu led unarmed satyagrahis into police lathis. Not one of them raised a hand. The world watched," he said.

The Congress leader maintained that the use of force could not extinguish a movement founded on peaceful resistance.

"Police can break bones. They cannot break a satyagraha. India's youth, especially young women, are fearless, determined and united. They are standing up for our democracy, and I stand with them," Gandhi said.

His remarks came amid continuing confrontation between Opposition parties and the authorities over restrictions on demonstrations and allegations of excessive police action in the national capital.

𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀

The protests over alleged electoral irregularities reached the Supreme Court's doorstep on Monday when senior Opposition leaders, activists and civil society representatives participated in a "March for Democracy" along a heavily barricaded route in Delhi.

The demonstrators also filed a joint petition challenging the SIR exercise and alleged irregularities in the electoral process.

Opposition parties have described the issue as one of electoral accountability and have accused the authorities of attempting to suppress protests questioning the Election Commission.

On Tuesday, Gandhi hosted leaders of the INDIA bloc for tea at his residence, where the Opposition alliance reiterated its commitment to continuing the campaign against what it describes as "vote chori".

Following the meeting, the alliance declared that it would pursue the issue to its logical conclusion through political mobilisation and legal action.

Gandhi's latest statement has added to the confrontation over police conduct during the demonstrations, with the Congress now seeking criminal proceedings against personnel accused of assaulting students.

The allegations against Delhi Police remain allegations, and the account provided did not include an official police response to Gandhi's claims.