Rahul Gandhi Alleges Delhi Police Assault Left Protester With Hearing Loss
Rahul Gandhi has accused Delhi Police of assaulting Youth Congress workers detained during a protest over alleged electoral irregularities. A student from Kerala claimed she suffered ear damage after being struck in custody.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused Delhi Police of assaulting Youth Congress workers detained during a protest against alleged electoral-roll irregularities. He alleged that a woman protester had lost hearing in one ear after being struck by police personnel.
Addressing a press conference, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha identified the woman as Athira, a Delhi University student from Kerala. He said the incident raised concerns about the treatment of protesters in police custody.
Athira alleged that police personnel assaulted her inside a bus after detaining her during Tuesday’s demonstration. She said no female police officer was present on the bus when she asked for one.
According to Athira, the bus later stopped outside the Connaught Place police station, where personnel repeatedly struck her on the cheek. She claimed the incident left her with an eye injury and ear damage.
Gandhi referred to an earlier case involving a young protester who he said had lost his sight, alleging a pattern of excessive force against demonstrators.
The allegations come amid opposition protests over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demands for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.
The claims concerning the alleged assault and injuries have been attributed to Gandhi and Athira. Further details about the student’s medical condition and the police response were not provided in the supplied report.
