Congress, AAP target BJP over ‘lathi-charge’ on SSC aspirants in Delhi

The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday criticised the BJP over the alleged lathi-charge on students during their protest at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday against the “mismanagement” of the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exam.

However, the police have denied the allegation.

Unlike other full-fledged States, in Delhi, the police report to the Union Home Ministry.

Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X: “The brutal lathi-charge on SSC aspirants and teachers protesting peacefully at Ramlia Maidan is not just shameful, but the hallmark of a cowardly government.”

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal hit out at the “dictatorship” and “hooliganism” of the BJP in his X post.

“These students have been fighting for justice for months over the irregularities in the SSC exam… They were beaten with batons in the darkness of the night. The hands that should have been holding books now bear the marks of injuries. Media personnel were also stopped from covering the event,” he said in the post in Hindi.

‘Constables injured’

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan said, “Around 1,500 people attended the gathering on Sunday. They were permitted to hold a peaceful protest between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. However, around 300 protesters continued to remain at the venue beyond the allotted time.”

After the protesters ignored multiple warnings, the police detained 40 of them while the others left the spot, he added. The DCP said, “In the process, five police personnel, including three women constables, sustained injuries due to aggressive behaviour by some protestors. No lathi-charge was done. An FIR under Section 223(B) [disobedience to orders promulgated by public servants] of BNS was registered on Sunday night.”