Rahul Gandhi held a press conference with Jantar Mantar protesters at 10 Janpath in Delhi on Wednesday. Rahul said that during the Cockroach Party protest on July 20, students were attacked with lathis and pellet guns.
Rahul brought four protesting male and female students with him before the media. One female student said, “We were called anti-national for saying Bharat Mata Ki Jai. We were walking peacefully when a police officer hit us on the lower part of our bodies.”
Rahul Gandhi said, “The protesters did nothing wrong. They are being continuously exploited. These children fought for the country’s future. They don’t need to apologise. These children fought for democracy; thank you for that.”
Rahul Gandhi backs student protesters; says he is proud of youth across the country
- Rahul Gandhi said he was proud of the student protesters at Jantar Mantar and thousands of young people across the country, claiming they had stood up to defend the Constitution, the idea of India, and the nation’s future.
- He said several protesters told him they had been assaulted, threatened, and intimidated during the demonstrations. Gandhi also criticised the alleged forcing of a 15-year-old girl to apologise after “goons” were sent to students’ homes, calling the episode “completely absurd”. He said the Opposition would not accept such actions and reiterated the demand for a fair education system, an end to examination paper leaks, and stronger safeguards for students’ futures.
Five protesters speak out; allege pellet gun injuries and online trolling
Riya Ahir says, ‘I stopped the police van, now I am being trolled.’
Riya Ahir stopped a police van during the ongoing protest at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on July 23.
Riya Ahir, who stood in front of a police vehicle during the Shivaji Park protest, said, “I am the girl who stopped the Mumbai Police. I would like to say that I am the girl who prevented 20 children from being illegally detained. My appeal is to please change the narrative. I am being harassed because of what I did.”
She added, “This isn’t trolling; it’s a crime. Not only the public, but even party workers are posting about me on social media. I’m being told I’m selling my body for 140 rupees. How much filth must be in their minds? I filed a complaint on July 27th. To date, I haven’t received an FIR.”
Nutan Tapo says, ‘As soon as she turned, gunfire erupted from behind’
Nutan Tapo from Jharkhand said, “I saw the pellet gun with my own eyes. It was pointed at us. As I turned, I was shot from behind. I was injured in the ear.”
Farah Naaz said, ‘I was called a traitor for saying Bharat Mata ki Jai’
Farah Naz from Uttar Pradesh said, “We were holding a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar. Police goons beat us terribly. They made me sit on a bus. Kept me there for three hours, then asked for my name. When I told them, they said, ‘I’m a Muslim, and a separate list will be made of me. I’m a traitor.’ We were chanting ‘Vande Bharat’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai.’ Yet they call us traitors.”
Bharat said, ‘That day was the darkest day of my life’
Bharat from Maharashtra said, “We demanded Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. We were subjected to so much oppression and brutality for that. If we had demanded Amit Shah’s resignation, they would have directly fired on us. They would have turned Jantar Mantar into a border. We endured a lot. We carried many injured children in our arms to ambulances. This was the darkest day of my life.”
Muskan said, ‘Why was i beaten for walking peacefully?’
Muskan from Delhi said, “My question is, why did the police beat me when I was walking peacefully in the protest? Why did the RAF officer use a baton? When the rule says you can’t hit above the thigh, why did they hit me? I would be happy if the person who gave them the order came and apologized to me. I’m receiving abuse on social media because of my name, even though my full name is Muskan Sharma.”
