Delhi protest: Activist alleges police brutality, lathi-charge on CJP members

Activist Abhijeet Dipke accused Delhi Police of brutality, lathi-charge, and assaulting women during a CJP protest. In response, police filed FIRs for stone-pelting and vandalism by protesters, releasing video evidence of the incident.

Even as the Delhi Police filed FIRs against CJP protesters for indulging in stone pelting during Monday's protest, activist Abhijeet Dipke on Tuesday alleged police brutality against protesting students, claiming that police personnel lathi-charged protesters and assaulted women during the demonstration, while questioning the government over the detention of the protesters.

Activist Alleges Police Brutality

Speaking to ANI about the protest, Dipke said, "Today, the Police staged lathi charge in the morning. They have filled their hearts with blood."

Asked about reports of his detention, Dipke said, "Police were attacking Geetanjali ma'am. Later, they tried to charge me with a lathi. A male police officer pulled Geetanjali ma'am's hair. I was not there. But they tried their best."

On the police arrangements at the protest site, Dipke said, "Are they putting up another barricade? Are they talking to the DCP? Ask him."

"The issue is not about the strength of the protest. The issue is whether the government has a heart or not. And this is not the only protest where they have shown such brutality. All the protests in this country have shown such brutality. They are breaking the heads of 12-year-old children. They are killing more than 20 children. They are killing more children to save them. The government should be ashamed," he said.

"This is not the government. This is brutality. Stop calling it the government. The government is chosen by the people and works for the people. This is not the government. This is brutality," Dipke added.

On the government's stand regarding the protest, Dipke said, "Sonam sir has already given the answer to this. His investigation is still going on. Why did the government take such a step? Why did the government take such a step? They have been illegally detained in the hospital. They are still fasting. What is the point of keeping them in the hospital? If they are not being treated, what is the point of keeping them in the hospital? The government has illegally detained them."

Later, Dipke spoke to police officers at the protest site and questioned them over the alleged restriction on entry points. "You have beaten the heads of 12-year-old girls. You have kicked them on the chest. The police beat them up. The male police officers beat them up," he told the Police officials.

Meeting with Union Minister a 'Waste of Time', Says CJP Spokesperson

Meanwhile, CJP National Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka, speaking about the previous day's meeting with Union Minister JP Nadda, alleged that the meeting was a "waste of time" and claimed that there was no response to their concerns.

Asked about the meeting, Ranka said, "It was a waste of time. I made him sit for 5 hours. There was no response. There is no shame. In hindsight, we realized that we were called there to waste time."

Ranka further alleged that some members were kept under house arrest and claimed that their phones were taken away. "For 2 hours, we were kept in a house arrest. They called him here and conspired to make me alone. They conspired to make me alone. There is a narrative that Sourav and Ashutosh are not on the ground. They were kept in a house arrest at J.P. Nadda's house. Their mobile phones were stolen. They did not even have their mobile phones," he alleged.

Delhi Police File FIRs for Vandalism, Stone-Pelting

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has registered an FIR against unidentified persons in connection with the vandalism of vehicles and stone-pelting in Connaught Place and Parliament Street during the protest, police sources said on Tuesday.

The officials have registered FIRs at the Parliament Street and Connaught Place police stations under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including rioting in connection with incidents involving violence, vandalism, damage to public property, obstruction of government employees in the discharge of their duties, and the snatching of police gear such as jackets and helmets during the protest at Jantar Mantar, the sources said.

According to police, miscreants allegedly vandalised police vehicles and pelted stones at a police team near Regal Cinema in the Outer Circle of Connaught Place. Further investigation into the incident is underway.

On Monday, Police released footage showing stone pelting in the Connaught Place area. In the video, a group of youth was seen pelting stones from behind police barricades or by stepping close to it. The Police appealed to all protestors to maintain peace, exercise restraint and cooperate with the police in ensuring peace and public order. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)