Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met the students attached to the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), who alleged that they were brutally assaulted by Delhi police personnel during a protest. One of the students claimed she sustained injuries which affected her hearing in one year.

Addressing a press conference along with the agitators, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha criticised the alleged mistreatment of students and introduced one of the female demonstrators as ‘our sherni,’ commending her for standing firm despite the reported violence.

Gandhi remarked, “I want to introduce our ‘sherni’. She was beaten, but she was not afraid. There was no hatred in her heart.”

At the press conference, the students levelled grim allegations against a female cop, identified as Chanchal Yadav, claiming she unleashed an assault on protestors while they were being detained. However, the allegations have not been verified independently, and a detailed response from the Delhi Police is awaited.

NSUI worker alleged assault inside police vehicle

Recounting the horror, one of the agitators said NSUI members had been carrying out the stir peacefully and were later detained in three buses, each reportedly ferrying around 30-40 people.

She alleged that when the protestors tried to disembark from the bus and resume their agitation, constable Yadav grabbed her by the neck and pushed her backwards onto a seat. The student went on to add that the constable also scratched her face and the area near her ear with her nails, only to slap her hard later.

She further alleged that the students subsequently tried to stop the bus and sat beneath it in a bid to continue their demonstration.

Athira alleged injuries to ear, eyes

Another member of the NSUI, Athira, enrolled at the Delhi University (DU), alleged she was kicked in her private parts and was assaulted near the Connaught Place Police station. She claimed two female protestors were taken into separate rooms, where 5-7 police personnel allegedly assaulted them and struck their legs with batons.

NSUI workers being detained by authorities

Athira added to the allegations, saying no female cop was on board the bus when the students were detained. She added that she had specifically asked for the presence of a woman constable. Describing the alleged incident outside the police station, she said agitators were struck repeatedly, rendering her ears and eyes injured.

Gandhi then claimed that one of Athira’s ears had lost its hearing capacity after being hit. Likening the incident to an earlier case, where a student had been blinded due to police assault, he alleged that the latest incident highlighted the gravity of the treatment meted out to the demonstrators.

The students also voiced concerns over conditions at a makeshift detention centre, and one protestor alleged that minors were denied access to cell phones, and had no money available to them.

Gandhi pleads with students to preserve evidence

During the press conference, Gandhi pleaded with the students to record videos and preserve evidence of the alleged police action. He called the demonstration ‘a collective expression’ of India’s voice, contending that the protestors represented people across religious, caste and gender lines.

Gandhi added that the evidence would be used to seek accountability from the ones found responsible. He also named Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the police personnel allegedly involved behind the sweeping action against agitators.

A student playing a flute at the press conference

One of the students played the devotional song Vaishnava Jana To on a flute during the press conference, before saying that protestors would respond to hatred with love.