'Delhi cops told us we are traitors': Jantar Mantar protesters meet Rahul Gandhi

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday lauded the “courage and resilience” of the students who protested at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar last month, saying “their voices cannot be silenced”.

In a post on X, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha shared a video of him meeting a group of students who were allegedly lathi-charged during the July 20 crackdown when protests against the NEET-UG paper leak was underway.

“The courage and resilience with which India's youth have stood firm against Modi ji's violent regime, demanding accountability, is commendable. They raised their voices with peace, love, and humor,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site in Hindi.

“I am proud of every single young person—especially the girls who faced the BJP goons' misbehavior, verbal abuse, and violence, even being forced to apologize to the Prime Minister. But now their voices cannot be silenced,” he added.

In the video, Gandhi is seen interacting with around six students over the police action.

“The policemen kept saying ‘all of you are traitors,” one of the students said. “The cops kept hitting me on my knee, they hit me at least seven times. I told them to hit me on my back instead but they did not listen,” the student added.

Another female student said she saw a pellet being fired at her during the mayhem, leaving her ear injured. “My ear lobe was cut and hanging. There was a lot of bleeding. I underwent a two-hour surgery but was discharged just 15 minutes later. I needed some rest but they asked me to leave,” she said.

Also Read | Big scoop on use of pellet guns during CJP Jantar Mantar protest: Police daily diary entry reveals details

HT earlier reported that five people – Sheikh Irshad Mansuri, a 25-year-old employee with a private firm, Nootan Toppo, a 32-year-old woman from Gurugram, a 28-year-old reporter, Prashant Singh, a 25-year-old Bihar resident, and 19-year-old Sahil Lochab, a student aspiring to join the police force – alleged (in Lochab’s case the allegations were made by the family) that they were hit with pellets on July 20.

At least two rounds of pellets were used on July 20 on the orders of a deputy superintendent of the Delhi Police, according to the statement of a deputy commander of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) recorded in a general diary entry at the Parliament Street police station. It is unclear if the forces used metallic or plastic pellets – both of which are available in the inventory. The government has, however, said that no firing was carried out on that day.

Also Read | Jantar Mantar protest: Medical reports show injuries, but CRPF, police silent on ‘pellet gun’ use

A third student, whose video of him refusing to budge and telling the RPF to continue hitting him, said: “The forces hurled abuses at me. They used some of the filthiest words. How can Prime Minister Narendra Modi say that the students abused him?”

The third student continued: “The forces’ lathicharge was extremely dangerous. They were hitting indiscriminately and on people’s heads. The Delhi Police personnel had their faces covered during the police action.”

Also Read | ‘No firing at Jantar Mantar’: Nadda slams Rahul Gandhi; claims Congress leader ‘changing goalpost’

The students also raised questions over the Prime Minister’s “forgiveness” for those who used abusive language against him and his late mother during the demonstrations at Jantar Mantar. On July 31, Prime Minister Modi said he is ready to forgive youngsters accused of abusing him and his late mother, saying they are misguided and “it is our job to show them the right way”.

“Ruchika was forced to do that but she was threatened. I saw everything that day (on June 20). The way a cop hit me with the batons, that is pure sexual assault. And it was done on purpose because when I turned around to yell at the cop, he was smirking at me, as if it was funny,” a fourth student said.

Also Read | 'Metallic foreign bodies’ removed in surgery from protester's body in Delhi, report shows

There was no immediate comment from Delhi Police on the allegation of the fourth student at the time of filing this report.

She was referring to 15-year-old Ruchika Singh, who was booked for allegedly using abusive language against PM Modi. The complaint against her was withdrawn after she tendered an apology and PM Modi said he forgave such students.

Also Read | HC: Protests at Jantar Mantar put city to inconvenience

“Ideally they are supposed to protect me. If this is how they are treating me, who am I supposed to go to for my protection?” the fourth student said.

The student said she saw “all forms of dictatorship” on July 20. “I realised that I am not safe in this country,” she said.