CPI(M) shared a video after Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas alleged he was manhandled by police during protests in Delhi. The footage and his account have sharpened criticism of detentions linked to demonstrations against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Brittas was later admitted to Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. (Credits: PTi and X/CPM)
New Delhi,Oct 11, 2026 19:39 IST
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) on Sunday shared a video of Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas appearing distressed and being helped out of a vehicle, claiming he was assaulted by Delhi Police during protests in the national capital against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
In a post on X, the CPI(M) said Brittas was “brutally attacked” by Delhi Police and later left by the roadside in an injured condition. The video showed a man and a police officer assisting the MP from a dark vehicle towards an autorickshaw.
“DELHI POLICE HAS CROSSED ALL LIMITS!” the party wrote in its post, condemning the incident.
The video emerged amid protests in Delhi by the opposition as well as the Cockroach Janata Party demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The demonstrations, supported by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), entered their second day on Sunday, with police detaining protesters attempting to march towards Jantar Mantar.
JOHN BRITTAS SAYS HE WAS MANHANDLED INSIDE POLICE BUS
Brittas said he was detained after reaching Connaught Place on Sunday to support Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists who were being taken into custody. He said he was speaking to the media when police personnel forced him into a bus.
According to Brittas, several Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel pinned him and another person down against a seat inside the vehicle. He said the personnel continued to restrain him despite his repeatedly identifying himself as a Member of Parliament.
Brittas said he began experiencing breathing difficulties during the incident. According to his account, a deputy commissioner of police intervened after reviewing body-camera footage and directed personnel to release him.
The MP further said he was subsequently pushed out of the vehicle and left by the roadside. Unable to catch his breath, he sat on the pavement before being helped by a young man, identified in reports as Sajid, who assisted him in finding an autorickshaw.
Brittas was later admitted to Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, according to media reports. The CPI(M) also shared the video as evidence of what it described as police brutality.
The precise timing and circumstances surrounding the footage shared by the party were not independently established in the available reports.
OPPOSITION PROTESTS AGAINST CEC GYANESH KUMAR
The incident comes amid a wider Opposition mobilisation against Kumar over the SIR process, which critics say has resulted in the exclusion of eligible voters from electoral rolls.
The Election Commission's revision exercise has faced criticism from Opposition parties, which have demanded accountability and Kumar's resignation.
The CJP had called for a major demonstration at Jantar Mantar over the issue. Its founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained shortly after arriving in Delhi on Saturday.
They were released on Sunday after being produced before an executive magistrate, subject to a condition to maintain public peace for a year.
Left organisations, including the SFI and the All India Students' Association (AISA), also joined the mobilisation.
Police detained protesters at several locations as they attempted to march towards Jantar Mantar.
More than 100 protesters were detained on Sunday, according to reports.
- Ends
With inputs from Amit Bhardwaj