New Delhi: CPM Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas from Kerala has formally written to President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan, and Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, seeking urgent intervention after allegedly being assaulted and manhandled by Delhi Police personnel during demonstrations in the national capital.

The senior parliamentarian alleged that law enforcement officers physically dragged him inside a police vehicle before leaving him on the roadside simply for addressing reporters.

Allegations of police high-handedness

Detailing the ordeal, Brittas emphasised that the incident occurred shortly after the apex court issued directions safeguarding peaceful assembly and constitutional freedoms.

“Manhandled, dragged, assaulted n misbehaved inside a police vehicle and dumped by the roadside - for the crime of speaking to the media,” Brittas stated, terming the action a direct infringement on parliamentary privilege.

“This is not merely an assault on an MP. It is an assault on democratic freedoms and the rule of law. More chillingly, it happened within hours of the Supreme Court issuing directions to safeguard peaceful protest and constitutional rights,” he added.

Call for Parliamentary action and accountability

In his official communications, the Kerala MP urged the constitutional heads to hold the responsible police personnel accountable and initiate proceedings on questions of parliamentary privilege.

Reaffirming the right to peaceful political dissent, Brittas warned against the use of state force to muzzle public discourse.
 

“The Government cannot intimidate democracy into silence. It cannot substitute the force of the baton for the force of debate. And it shouldn’t expect the people to surrender their constitutional freedoms merely because those in power find dissent inconvenient. The strength of a democracy lies not in its capacity to suppress dissent, but in its ability to address it.”

The development comes amid heightened political friction in New Delhi, where Opposition leaders and activists have faced widespread detentions during ongoing agitations demanding institutional accountability.