Lawyers Protest Police Crackdown on Students
The protest, organised by Youth for Justice inside the court complex, saw advocates alleging excessive use of force by police against protesters
NEW DELHI: Lawyers at Delhi’s Tis Hazari court on Saturday protested the police crackdown on demonstrators during the July 20 march towards Parliament organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), hours before Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.
The protest, organised by Youth for Justice inside the court complex, saw advocates alleging excessive use of force by police against protesters.
Participants sang the National Anthem and recited the Preamble to the Constitution, stating that the exercise reaffirmed their commitment to justice, liberty, equality and fraternity, and to the right to peaceful protest under the Constitution.
Addressing the gathering, Youth for Justice founder and advocate Ashu Bidhuri said students had been exercising their constitutional right and that police should have engaged in dialogue.
Bidhuri said: “The students were peacefully protesting at the designated place under the rule of law. The rule of law doesn't allow police to lathi-charge or teargas peaceful student protesters. In such a situation, dialogue should be promoted between police and the protesters…Protest is a constitutional right which police cannot curtail with brutal force. Freedom of speech and expression was also put in danger on July 20.”
He also called for a judicial inquiry overseen by a retired Supreme Court judge and action against erring personnel. “We are against the atrocities committed against the students, the lathicharge, the use of tear gas, pellet guns, etc. We demand a judicial inquiry, overseen by a retired Supreme Court judge. We demand that the guilty police officers be punished, terminated and that the students be given justice,” he said.
The July 20 march witnessed clashes after protesters attempted to move towards Parliament seeking Pradhan’s resignation over the NEET paper leak issue. Police used lathis and tear gas to disperse crowds at multiple locations, and FIRs were registered at Connaught Place, Parliament Street and other police stations.
The protesting lawyers expressed solidarity with the students and sought accountability for the alleged use of force.