Delhi Assembly passes resolution against police 'brutality' on students

Condemning police action against students seeking justice for Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, the Delhi assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution demanding "immediate action" against officers responsible for the "inhuman attack" on protesters.

The House also "strongly condemned" alleged manhandling of girl students by male police personnel.

"The Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi... strongly condemns the brutal assault by Delhi Police personnel and para-military personnel on the students and youth who took out peaceful protest march in New Delhi on January 17, 2017 seeking justice for Rohith Vemula," the resolution moved by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Somnath Bharti read.

"(The assembly) Demands that the Union Home Minister initiate immediate action against the officers responsible for such inhuman attack on innocent protesters from Jawaharlal Nehru University and other institutions," it added.

Hundreds of students were detained on Tuesday while protesting to mark the first death anniversary of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula.

Referring to certain pictures published in the media, AAP MLAs alleged brutality against students, including female students, by the Delhi Police and paramilitary forces.

Supporting the resolution, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the Delhi government won't tolerate an assault on students in the national capital.

"If students come to the capital of the nation and want to express their voice, do they deserve such treatment? This is an attempt to suppress the voice of the students and it won't be tolerated," he said.

Targeting Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government, Sisodia said it was "hell bent on destroying the lives of the students who are the future of the nation, and the universities that shape that future".

"But we won't sit silent. We will speak up here (in the assembly) and will even take to the streets if needed," he added.

Earlier, major drama was witnessed during the discussion on the issue with AAP MLAs storming into the well and raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta.

Gupta, while speaking on the issue of Dalit oppression, called AAP MLAs concerns as pretence and said the Delhi government had done nothing for Dalits since coming to power.

Calling the BJP and the Prime Minister anti-Dalit, the protesting MLAs demanded an apology from Vijender Gupta for his remarks.

--IANS

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