Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday held a press conference criticising what he described as the authorities’ use of “danda” (sticks) against protesters demonstrating against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Gandhi introduced Samar, a flute artist who played Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye as a symbolic response to the alleged police brutality.
Samar claimed he was detained on October 11 after RSS and Bajrang Dal members allegedly threatened peaceful protesters.
He accused police personnel in civilian clothing of assaulting demonstrators, seizing and formatting their phones. He also alleged that a Rapid Action Force personnel had hit him with a stick on July 20.
NSUI Functionary Alleges Assault
Gandhi also introduced a woman National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) functionary, calling her a “sherni” (tigress).
The woman alleged that female constable Chanchal Yadav dragged and assaulted her on a bus and inside Connaught Place Police Station.
She claimed she was slapped, scratched and pulled by her hair, sustaining an ear injury that required hospital treatment to remove an embedded earring.
She further alleged that her colleague Teera, from Kerala, was assaulted, struck in her private parts and dragged along the road. The protester claimed several women in civilian clothing later beat her inside the police station, while male personnel failed to intervene.
The allegations could not be independently verified, and no police response was available in the material provided.
