New Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise to women protesters who he alleged were subjected to police brutality during the July 20 march to Parliament.
Dipke’s remarks came a day after Prime Minister Modi released a video message saying he wanted to forgive the “misguided children” who had allegedly abused him and his late mother during the Jantar Mantar protests.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s statement, Dipke said he hoped Modi would issue another video message addressing what he described as the excessive use of force by police against women demonstrators.
“I hope Modi ji will release another video tonight. In that video, I hope he apologises for the lathicharge on July 20,” Dipke said in a video statement.
He alleged that several women and minor girls were assaulted during the police action, claiming that some protesters suffered physical injuries and humiliation.
“Twelve-year-old girls were beaten by the police. Male police officers even tore the clothes of girls. They were beaten and hit on their private parts. I want Modi ji, in tonight’s video, to apologise to all the girls who were brutally beaten by the police,” Dipke said.
The allegations relate to the July 20 march to Parliament organised by protesters demanding action over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. The demonstration witnessed clashes between protesters and security personnel after police stopped the march from proceeding towards Parliament. Authorities used batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd, leading to multiple injuries and detentions.
Dipke also questioned whether the Prime Minister’s message of forgiveness would be accompanied by concrete action. Referring to the criminal cases registered against several protesters, he asked whether the government would limit its response to a video message or move to withdraw the cases against students and activists.
The CJP leader had earlier reacted to Modi’s video, asking whether the Prime Minister would forgive the students only “on reel” or ensure justice by dropping the cases filed against them.
The July 20 police action has remained a subject of political debate, with opposition parties and civil rights groups demanding an independent inquiry into the alleged use of excessive force, while authorities have maintained that police acted to enforce security restrictions and maintain public order during the protest.