Delhi Protests: Was Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas 'Attacked' By Delhi Police? CPI(M) Shares Video

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas was allegedly assaulted by Delhi Police during protests demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), claimed on Sunday. The party shared a video on X that appeared to show Brittas injured inside a police van, although it remains unclear whether the footage was recorded on Saturday or Sunday, when the MP was detained on both days.

The video shows John Brittas half-lying on the steps of a police van, with a red-stained cloth covering part of his face. Another person appears to assist him before a police official helps the MP move from the vehicle to an autorickshaw.

“He was later dropped by the roadside, visibly injured and in distress.” CPI(M) wrote in its X post, adding,“DELHI POLICE HAS CROSSED ALL LIMITS!”

Quick answers to key questions

.4 QUESTIONS1Was John Brittas attacked by Delhi Police during the Delhi protests?⌵

CPI(M) alleged that Delhi Police assaulted the Rajya Sabha MP and shared a video appearing to show him injured. The footage does not establish when or how he was injured, so the circumstances remain unclear.

2When was John Brittas detained during the Delhi protests?⌵

Brittas was detained on both Saturday and Sunday, according to the article. On Sunday, he was among protesters marching from Connaught Place's Inner Circle and Rajiv Chowk towards Jantar Mantar.

3Why were protesters demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation?⌵

The CJP and opposition parties accused the Chief Election Commissioner of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. They demanded his resignation over those allegations.

4What does the video shared by CPI(M) show about John Brittas?⌵

It appears to show Brittas half-lying on the steps of a police van, with a red-stained cloth covering part of his face. Another person assists him, and a police official helps him move to an autorickshaw.

Delhi protests: John Brittas detained amid police crackdown

John Brittas was among those detained on Sunday while marching towards Jantar Mantar from Connaught Place's Inner Circle and Rajiv Chowk. Police sources confirmed his detention. The CPI(M) MP had also been detained during Saturday's demonstrations.

Protesters raised slogans demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and several opposition parties have been demanding his resignation.

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Visuals showed security personnel detaining demonstrators, with some protesters being dragged towards police buses despite resisting the action. The CJP had announced another demonstration for 10 am on Sunday after authorities prevented its planned gathering on Saturday.

More than 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel had been deployed across Delhi, according to the information provided about the security arrangements.

SFI alleges its leaders and members were attacked

Members of the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and other student organisations were also detained while marching towards Jantar Mantar from Rajiv Chowk.

In a statement, the SFI said its All India President Adarsh M Saji, Delhi State Secretary Sooraj Elamon, Central Executive Committee member Abhijith Manilal and hundreds of its members had been attacked and detained.

“In the video, you can see blood coming out of Adarsh's forehead. These will not be forgotten. We will keep coming out on the streets. The protests will be multiplied in all corners of the country!” the statement said.

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In a separate video, Saji questioned the police action, saying the protesters did not understand their crime as they had been demonstrating peacefully.

Why are protesters demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation?

The CJP and opposition parties have accused Kumar of irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls and are demanding his resignation. The Delhi Police had denied permission for the planned gathering at Jantar Mantar.

On Saturday, police detained more than 7,000 protesters at multiple locations as demonstrators attempted to reach the protest site. CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were among those detained.

Former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar were also detained while attempting to join the protest.

The CJP subsequently vowed to continue its agitation until Kumar resigned, despite police restrictions across parts of New Delhi and Central Delhi.

CPI(M) MPs criticise detention of CJP leaders at Delhi airport

Brittas and fellow CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP A A Rahim had criticised the detention of CJP founder Dipke and other leaders after they arrived from Mumbai on Saturday. The three leaders were reportedly detained aboard their flight after landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport.

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"The central government is doing all this because they are scared. The police could have arrested them once they come out of the airport. They could not have escaped from inside the airport. There was no need to detain them from inside the plane," Brittas said.

He also criticised the reported detention of journalists and restrictions on their reporting, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were acting to protect Kumar.

Rahim claimed that CJP activists and protesters who resisted restrictions on demonstrations or the removal of their phones had been "brutally tortured".

The circumstances surrounding the alleged assault on Brittas remain unclear. The video shared by CPI(M) does not establish when the incident occurred or independently verify how the MP sustained his injuries.

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