New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) The controversy over firing of pellet guns by Delhi Police during the students’ stir at Jantar Mantar on July 20, escalated on Friday, as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, reached the Parliament Street Police Station, accompanied by some individuals and purportedly the pellet gun victim.
According to reports, the Congress MP visited the police station to support the demand of the victim, to register an FIR into the pellet gun firing issue.
Top sources said that LoP Rahul Gandhi met the DCP and enquired why a police case was not lodged over firing of pellets on the protesting students and also demanded to know who gave the orders for the lathi-charge, firing of pellet guns on students and why no case was being lodged despite it being a cognisable offence.
LoP Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party have been attacking the Centre, accusing it of using excessive police force to silence the voice of students while they peacefully protested against paper leaks at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
LoP Rahul Gandhi first went to the Mandir Marg Police Station to meet the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and from there, reached the Parliament Street Police Station as Jantar Mantar comes under its jurisdiction.
LoP Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the police station assumes significance as this comes a day ahead of his third edition of ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ campaign in Pune, slated for August 22. The Congress MP is set to address a gathering of students tomorrow, where he will take the government to task accusing it of using ‘brute’ force to silence the voice of students.
Notably, the pellet gun victim had also shared the stage with LoP Rahul Gandhi earlier, where the latter showed the young man’s pellet injuries to the media and hurled questions at the Centre, asking who directed the Delhi Police to fire pellets at the protesting students.
The Congress MP has also been raising the issue of women students facing harassment at the hands of policemen during the NEET protests in Delhi and has now stepped up the campaign around use of pellet guns, asking how can the government allow use of brute force to crush the students’ movement.
While LoP Rahul Gandhi insists on filing of a FIR into the pellet gun firing, the Congress party claimed that the Delhi Police has been refusing to file a case despite the victim approaching them, multiple times.
“On 14th, Sahil Lochav went with his lawyers to Delhi Police and gave a written complaint. They refused to give a I/O number. It was again pursued on 17th with email, phone as well. Again, no I/O number given. No acknowledgement was also given. Now, LoP Rahul Gandhi ji went along with the victim to insist. The DCP is again not giving the case officer and I/O number. As it’s a cognisable offence, a FIR also has to be registered, but Delhi Police not doing so,” a statement from the Congress party said.
–IANS
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