Today, AISA held a press conference at press club after yesterday’s incidents of police brutality.
Comrades Neha, Aameen, Manish along with comrades who faced and went through direct instances of police brutality were present and addressed the conference. Against Delhi Police’s claims denying the brutal and shameful violence it unleashed against the students we presented a detailed account of evidences based on concrete reports and testimonies. AISA had sent a team alongside comrade Danish to hospitals in Delhi including RML and LHMC.
Instances Of Police Brutality
There have been multiple cases of police deliberately hitting students with batons on the head. Documented evidence by individuals as well as journalists like Puja Yadav, Piyush Rai, Abhinav Pandey and testimonies from the protest have clear and undeniable visuals of people having been hit on their heads causing severe deliberate injury on other body parts. Comrade Rovin also recieved a severe injury in his arm in yesterday’s severe police repression. There is documented evidence also of the police deliberately singling out protestors to beat them with sticks, not for the sake of dispersal but rather for clear direct attack on the Protestors.
Use Of Pellet Guns On The Streets Of Delhi
It is confirmed that Delhi Police used pellet guns on protestors. At least 3 people received pellet gun injuries as confirmed by our team and Danish met Irshad’s family who will have to go eye and neck surgery otherwise he risks complete blindness. Another undeniable fact is the vehement usage of tear gas by the police against students. What is more concerning is that these shells came to be fired on individual protests and thick crowds at times making usage lethal and deliberately causing stampede like situations. This stands confirmed by a report in the Indian Express Hindi as well.
State Sanctioned Hooliganism
There were uniformed goons who are seen in videos beating up protestors indiscriminately alongside and in front of police and RAF personnels. Honey Singh Dagar being one of them who is openly beating up protestors using sticks on video. RAF and Police personnel were also seen without name tags armed and bearing sticks. The police have Detained students in large numbers despite the denial. At the mandir Marg police station itself 11 people have been detained. One of the detainees is 55 and has serious health issues and suffered a stroke a while ago. In videos posted by several journalists and individuals including Roshan Rai, police is seen pelting stones on the Protestors. In places like Janpath and Connaught Place students were teargassed and pelted with stones continuously.
Jantar Mantar Protest Site Teargassed
The police teargassed the designated protest site of Jantar Mantar and lathicharging the area. This lead to stamped and people scaling walls resulting in the wall falling on 3 hunger strikers. Clear videos of police brutality in detention as well report by Puja Yadav and Khabar Lahariya. Health workers were not allowed to tend to students and were beaten up. Messages from cops to individuals (confirmed by journalist like Tanushree Pandey and Abhinav Pandey) that police were ordered to beat students mercilessly to strike fear so that they never protest again. Police also attempted to snatch away phones and recording devices as documented by journalists like Paranjoy Roy. Video evidence (shared by Manu Sebastian and Laxman Yadav) of Policeman vandalising their own cars to blame it on the protestors. ASI Rajesh Kumar is seen on video indulging in this process.
*Based on these details AISA demands the immediate sacking of the Delhi Commisioner of Police and hold him response for the terror spree on Delhi’s streets yesterday. We shall continue our fight till the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan and also support the demand made by the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanding the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah.
