India police used excessive force during protests: Amnesty
Indian police used excessive force, including electric shock devices and pellet guns, against youth-led protests that forced the education minister to resign last month, Amnesty International said yes...
Amnesty International has accused Indian police of using excessive force during protests that led to the resignation of the education minister last month. The rights group's report details the use of electric shock devices, pellet guns, tear gas launchers, grenades, batons, and other weaponry against youth-led demonstrations. These incidents took place in the capital, New Delhi, and the eastern state of Bihar following the leak of the national medical entrance test on July 20.
Clashes erupted as thousands of protesters attempted to march toward Parliament. Witness testimony and verified visual evidence from Amnesty corroborated the use of these weapons against demonstrators in both Delhi and Bihar. The organization also verified two cases of police officers unlawfully using lethal force against a crowd in Bihar's Siwan district.
No fatalities were reported. Amnesty highlighted that the deployment of these weapons violated international law, domestic policing guidelines, and standards. Witness accounts indicated isolated instances of protesters throwing stones, but the organization emphasized that the police's heavy-handed response constituted state-sanctioned violence disguised as crowd control.
The Delhi Police defended their actions, stating they only resorted to force after protesters turned violent, alleging that anti-social elements masquerading as aggrieved students had caused serious injuries to security forces. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi staged a sit-in outside a Delhi police station with a 19-year-old protester who claimed to have been injured by pellets during the July 20 demonstration.
Gandhi called for a police investigation into the shooting, leading to officers registering a case over the complaint. The protests, driven by the online Cockroach Janta Party, expanded from concerns over exam irregularities to broader issues of unemployment, opportunities for youth, and what critics perceive as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's increasing authoritarian rule. This marked the most significant challenge Modi has faced since winning a third term in 2024.
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