On Friday, Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi and Sahil Lochab, allegedly hurt after being hit with a pellet gun during the pro-China protests held on July 20 staged a sit-in in the Parliament Street Police Station in New Delhi.
Gandhi went to the police station to assist Lochab in filing of a FIR against the use of ‘pellet guns’ during the protest. Police reportedly denied registering a case and Gandhi and Lochab protested against this by sitting in what is known as “dharna”.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other top party leaders were also amongst the protesting crowd, adding greater political hue to a controversy over alleged use of force during the riot.
During the protest against alleged NEET paper leak and irregularities in the examinations, Lochab was injured with pellets, it is reported, in his eyes and abdomen during the course of the protest by the group called the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Afterwards he added that he had to undergo surgery at AIIMS Trauma Centre.
Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi have been critical of the Centre regarding its handling of the protest on numerous occasions. They have charged that the government forces were resorting to undue violence to police students in protest against allegations of irregularities and paper leakage.
The Congress demands accountability for the so-called pellet firing and has asked for an FIR be lodged to probe into the alleged incident of the injury to Lochab.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury informed that Gandhi had paid the police station to be present among the students protesting for the lodging of the FIR. He painted the police as being averse to taking action, and called its stance “dictator.”
The dharna helped further the political controversy which erupted in July 20, over the use of force by security personnel and a request by the Congress party for an independent probe into the shooting of pellets with a gun.