Ashok Gehlot led a Congress delegation in Jaipur, demanding a Zero FIR for the alleged assault on NSUI activist Ritu Barala by police in Delhi. He cited BNS laws making such FIRs mandatory and criticized the functioning of the Rajasthan Police.
Gehlot Demands Zero FIR Over Alleged Assault
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot joined a Congress delegation led by State Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra at the Jaipur Police Commissionerate, demanding the registration of a Zero FIR over the alleged assault on NSUI National Secretary Ritu Barala by female police personnel during a protest in Delhi.
Explains BNS Provisions
Gehlot said that registering a Zero FIR was mandatory in cases involving specific offences against women under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and said that police officials could not refuse to register such complaints. Explaining the provisions concerning Zero FIRs, Gehlot said, "The concept of a 'Zero FIR' already existed, though different state governments implemented it in their own ways. In the BNS, this government has deliberately included specific provisions for cases involving women—such as outraging a woman's modesty, issuing threats, causing grievous hurt, committing acts that could lead to untoward incidents, or mistreating a woman. In such cases, registering a 'Zero FIR' is mandatory; officials cannot refuse to record it.”
Criticism of Rajasthan Police
The Congress leader also criticised the functioning of the Rajasthan Police, alleging that senior police officials were under pressure and questioning the state of affairs within the force. “The Police Commissioner seems to have effectively vanished, and the Director General (DG) is also operating under immense pressure. The state of the police force here is truly pathetic—a fact that became starkly evident during the municipal elections," he added.
Background of NSUI Protests
The controversy comes amid allegations of police brutality against NSUI activists during protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi. On Friday, NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar claimed that he and several party workers had been detained at different police stations in the national capital.
In a post on X, Jakhar said the detentions would not deter the organisation from raising its voice against alleged police brutality against women and protesting against the Centre.
Earlier, Delhi Police detained NSUI workers protesting outside Parliament Street Police Station over the alleged assault on activists and the alleged failure to register an FIR in the matter. Athira Vijayan, a Delhi University law student and NSUI activist from Kozhikode district in Kerala, also alleged that police personnel assaulted her during the protest near Connaught Place on October 13. According to her complaint, she sustained injuries. She alleged that she and other protesters were taken into custody, transported in a bus to Connaught Place, forcibly dragged out, and assaulted on a public street. (ANI)
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