ISLAMABAD: India's opposition Congress party said on Sunday that Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi had written to Home Minister Amit Shah seeking accountability over what he described as the "barbaric assault" on students who were peacefully protesting in Delhi on July 20.
In a post on X, the Congress said Gandhi had demanded answers from the home minister over the use of force against student protesters.
The party asked: "As Home Minister, did you approve the use of lethal force, including pellet guns, against students? If not, who did?"
It also questioned: "Are the people in plain clothes seen beating students with lathis police personnel or volunteers? Who authorized their deployment?"
Lethal weapons
In his letter dated July 25, Gandhi wrote that the students had been "demanding a fair and accountable education system."
"Instead of being heard, security forces assaulted them with indiscriminate force, including lethal weapons and tear gas. Hundreds have suffered serious injuries. Women students have been assaulted by policemen, including by deliberately targeting their private parts," he wrote.
Use of pellet guns
Gandhi also alleged that pellet guns had been used against protesters.
"Most shocking has been the use of lethal pellet guns. Reports in the media and social media clearly show people who have suffered grave injuries, including a journalist," he wrote.
Gandhi said he had met "19-year old student Sahil Lochab, who is now in severe pain ... [and] is likely to lose an eye because he was shot with pellet guns."
‘Brutal violence’
Calling peaceful protest "crucial to any democracy," Gandhi wrote that it was "the government's responsibility to protect protestors and resolve their grievances through dialogue."
"Such brutal violence destroys every norm, and has outraged the country. Youth and students, the future of our country, are demanding answers and accountability. Their voice will be heard," he wrote.
