Delhi Protest Crackdown: 'Felt Like A Police State', Says Shadan Farasat
A debate led by anchor Rajdeep Sardesai examines whether the right to peaceful protest and dissent is being suppressed in Delhi following police action against protesters, lawyers, and journalists. Senior Advocate Shadan Farasat describes his detention near Safdarjung flyover, recounting how police bodily lifted him, tore his shirt, and shoved him into a moving van while he attempted to intervene as Yogendra Yadav was being grabbed. Farasat remarks, 'It felt like you were in a police state,' arguing that dissent is being criminalised under political direction. Former Meghalaya High Court Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee criticises the heavy-handed security mobilisation, affirming that the fundamental right to assemble peaceably was prima facie violated. Meanwhile, former police chief Prakash Singh defends law enforcement personnel, contending that prohibitory orders were breached, crowds behaved disruptively, and officers were tasked with managing unruly assemblies under challenging circumstances.