‘Police can break bones, not satyagraha’: Rahul Gandhi on assault of student protesters

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Delhi Police of refusing to register an FIR over the alleged assault of student protesters by security personnel, warning that those responsible would face legal action.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the Congress would pursue all legal avenues against the officers involved in what he described as the “brutality” of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's Delhi Police.

Gandhi made the remarks in a post on X accompanying a video of his interaction with students, including members of the Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI), who were allegedly injured during recent protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

He met the students at the residence of his mother, Sonia Gandhi, at 10 Janpath in New Delhi on Wednesday.

“Delhi Police is refusing to register an FIR on the assault of our students. Two young women, Athira from Kerala and Ritu from Rajasthan, along with many others, were beaten by Delhi Police,” Gandhi said.

He added that he had spoken to Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra, and that a Zero FIR had already been registered in Kerala.

“We will pursue every legal route against the officers responsible, in Kerala, in Rajasthan and in the courts. Brutality by Amit Shah's Delhi Police will not go unchecked,” he said.

Invoking the 1930 Dharasana Satyagraha, Gandhi recalled how Sarojini Naidu led unarmed protesters into police baton charges during the freedom struggle.

“Not one of them raised a hand. The world watched,” he said, adding that while the police could break bones, they could not break a satyagraha.

“India's youth, especially young women, are fearless, determined and united. They are standing up for our democracy, and I stand with them,” he said.

In the video, Gandhi listens to the students recount their experiences before calling Chennithala and Dotasra and asking them to pursue FIRs against police personnel accused of assaulting the protesters. He said the action was intended to set an example and deter others from committing similar alleged offences.

Following his meeting with the students on Wednesday, Gandhi had appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to obstruct protesting students, describing them as the voice of the country. He also assured the students that action would be pursued against everyone responsible, from the Prime Minister to police constables.

Some students alleged that they were subjected to inhuman treatment while in detention. They claimed that police personnel beat them, including on their private parts, and verbally abused them in an attempt to “teach us a lesson” for participating in the protests.

Several protesters were detained and taken to centres far from the city during recent demonstrations by student organisations and Opposition parties against Kumar and the SIR exercise.

On Monday, the protests over allegations of “vote theft” reached the Supreme Court. Opposition leaders, activists and civil society members took part in a “March for Democracy” along a heavily barricaded route and filed a joint petition challenging the SIR exercise and alleging electoral irregularities.

Gandhi also hosted leaders of the INDIA bloc at his residence for tea on Tuesday. Following the meeting, the Opposition alliance vowed to continue its campaign and take its fight against alleged “vote chori” to its logical conclusion.