Arvind Kejriwal Condemns Police Action on CJP Student March, Launches Helpline
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Centre over the police action against protesters during the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) "Sansad Chalo" march in New Delhi. Speaking at a press conference, Kejriwal condemned the Delhi Police for allegedly executing a brutal lathi-charge on unarmed student protesters and announced the launch of a helpline for the students.
During his address, Kejriwal compared the action to colonial-era tactics, suggesting that even the British government would not have lathi-charged protesters in such a manner. He alleged that the students were beaten brutally by the police despite offering absolutely no resistance during the demonstration.
The AAP leader pointed to several videos circulating on social media platforms as evidence of the police force. Kejriwal expressed shock at the footage, noting that it showed unarmed students, including young women, pleading with the police to stop.
"I think history has never witnessed an incident of this kind. So many videos are circulating on social media. There are numerous videos in which students are pleading with the police. There are many videos showing young women pleading and folding their hands before the police, yet the police continue to beat them," Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal also described specific footage where police officers allegedly targeted passing students without any provocation. He stated, "There are also several videos showing unarmed students being beaten without any provocation. I saw one video in which two or three police personnel were standing by, and as students walked past, they struck each one with batons. The students were doing nothing. They were not attacking anyone."
In response to the clash and the alleged police brutality, Kejriwal launched a dedicated student helpline to provide support to those affected by the incident. The development has further escalated political tensions between the AAP and the Central government.
