Delhi Police reject allegations of excessive force during CJP protest, say crowd turned violent
PTC News Desk: The Delhi Police has denied allegations of exessive force against the protesters during July 20 Sansad Chalo March led by Cockroach Janta Party against NEET paper leak and examination irregularities, citing presence of over 30,000 protesters at the demonstration site.
In an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court the police said the scale of the crowd and the violence that followed the breaching of barricades necessitated the use of graded force.
The affidavit was filed in response to petitions seeking Supreme Court-monitored probe into allegations of police excesses during the protest. The Delhi Police in its response saif that around 5,000 police personnel were deployed across a stretch of around 3 kilometres to mitigate the crowd.
According to the police, the demonstration was initially peaceful but turned violent after the protesters attempted to breach the barricades and the crowd became difficult to control.
The police said the force used by its personnel was “graded” and proportionate to the situation on the ground.
According to the police, more than 240 personnel were injured during the clashes, while around 200 protesters also suffered injuries.
In its affidavit, the police also claimed that anti-social elements and people with criminal records had infiltrated the protest, leading to a further escalation of the situation. The police said its personnel had to control the crowd while ensuring that the protest did not spread to nearby areas.
After the protest, allegations were made that pellet guns were used to disperse the demonstrators. However, both the Delhi Police and the government have denied these claims. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also recently rejected allegations that excessive force was used against the student protesters.
The issue also disrupted Parliament's Monsoon Session, with Opposition parties repeatedly demanding a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on who ordered the police action against the students. The session was eventually adjourned sine die on August 13.
- With inputs from agencies
