Rahul Gandhi Vows Legal Action Over Alleged Police Assault on Student Protesters

New Delhi, Oct 16 : Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the Delhi Police of refusing to register an FIR over the alleged assault on student protesters and vowed that the Congress would pursue all available legal remedies to hold the officers accountable.

In a post on social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi alleged that two young women, Athira from Kerala and Ritu from Rajasthan, along with several other student protesters, were beaten by the Delhi Police. He said he had spoken to Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra to coordinate the party's response to the incident.

Gandhi said a Zero FIR had already been registered in Kerala and asserted that the Congress would pursue legal action in Kerala, Rajasthan and the courts against the police personnel allegedly involved.

“Brutality by Amit Shah's Delhi Police will not go unchecked,” he declared, holding Union Home Minister Amit Shah politically responsible for the functioning of the Delhi Police, which comes under the Union Home Ministry.

Drawing a parallel with India's freedom struggle, Gandhi referred to the 1930 Dharasana Salt Works raid, during which unarmed satyagrahis were subjected to police assaults as part of the civil disobedience movement against British rule.

Recalling Sarojini Naidu's leadership of the protesters, he said the satyagrahis faced police lathis without retaliating, adding that their resistance had drawn international attention.

“Police can break bones. They cannot break a satyagraha,” Gandhi said, portraying the students' protest as part of a broader struggle to defend democratic rights and the freedom to dissent.

Emphasising the role of young people, particularly women, in standing up to authority, the Congress leader described India's youth as “fearless, determined and united” and said they were fighting for democracy. “I stand with them,” he added.

Gandhi's statement signals the Congress's intention to pursue the alleged assault through legal channels while intensifying its political confrontation with the Delhi Police and the Union Home Ministry.

The allegations have also brought renewed attention to police conduct during student demonstrations and the handling of complaints of alleged excessive force.

A Zero FIR can be registered at any police station, irrespective of where the alleged offence occurred. It can subsequently be transferred to the police station having the appropriate territorial jurisdiction for investigation.

The registration of a complaint does not, by itself, establish the allegations. The circumstances surrounding the incident and the responsibility of any individuals involved will have to be determined through an investigation based on evidence.

The Congress has vowed to pursue the matter through the courts and the relevant state authorities. The allegations against the police personnel will ultimately have to be assessed on the basis of evidence gathered during the investigation.