New Delhi, Oct 14: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday urged students who participated in the protest demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to record videos, preserve evidence of police excesses and send them to Congress, asserting that those responsible for any wrongdoing would be punished.
Gandhi made the remarks while addressing a press conference alongside protesters who participated in the demonstration. “As I said in my press conference, this is India. Amit Shah ji, take a good look at this. There is no Hindu here, no Muslim, no one from any particular caste. There is no woman or man. There is one voice, one protest. It is the voice of India, and you are standing against this voice. The Prime Minister is standing against this voice,” he said.
“I suggest that you do not stand against this voice. No one can stand against this voice. I have told all the students to keep a video record and send that evidence to us. When this entire matter concludes, we will use all the evidence and ensure that everyone who needs to be punished is punished, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gyanesh Kumar and Amit Shah to even the constable who raises a hand against our children,” Gandhi added.
He further said that FIRs will be filed as it is all part of the work. “See, this is a protest. FIRs will be filed, and that is all part of the work. But, there is one voice, and that voice is being suppressed,” he said. Gandhi also introduced a female protester as ‘our sherni’, praising her for remaining fearless despite allegedly being assaulted. “I want to introduce our ‘sherni’.
She was beaten, but she was not afraid. There was no hatred in her heart,” he said. Highlighting the alleged injuries sustained by protesters, Gandhi said Athira, a student from Kerala studying at Delhi University, had lost her hearing in one ear after being struck there. “Athira from Kerala has lost her hearing in one ear. She is deaf in one ear because she was struck on that ear.
She can no longer hear. Last time, I showed you a boy who had been blinded. Now, she is deaf in one ear,” he said. Athira alleged that female police personnel were absent when protesters were detained on Tuesday. She said she had asked the authorities why no female police officer or constable was present, arguing that one should be available during the detention of women.
She alleged that the bus subsequently stopped outside the Connaught Place police station, where she was repeatedly hit on the cheek. “Because of this, I have an injury to my eye and damage to my ear,” she said, describing the injuries she allegedly sustained during the incident.
IANS