‘This is absolutely disgraceful’: Shashi Tharoor hits out at police lathicharge after encountering injured student protesters | Today’s news
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday (July 21) condemned the police action against students protesting over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, calling the use of force against peaceful protesters “absolutely shameful” after meeting injured protesters in Delhi.
His remarks came after clashes erupted during the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) ‘Chalo Sansad’ march, where the Delhi Police used teargas shells and batons to stop thousands of protesters marching towards Parliament.
Tharoor visits the injured students
In a series of social media posts, Tharoor said he met several injured students during Monday’s protest who described what they said was police brutality.
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The cockroach Janata Party organized protests demanding accountability for the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Shashi Tharoor has condemned the police’s use of force against peaceful student protesters, calling the actions “absolutely disgraceful” after meeting the injured protesters.
Police used force during the rally as protesters attempted to break through security barricades and march towards Parliament, leading to clashes that resulted in multiple injuries on both sides.
Congress leaders are demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a parliamentary debate on alleged NEET irregularities and police violence against students.
The Delhi Police defended their actions by claiming that the protesters attacked police personnel with stones and other objects, necessitating the use of force to maintain order.
“On the ground, I listened to students recount the police brutality they experienced. Story after story. Injury after injury. I met a young boy with his face covered in bandages as he quietly described what happened to him. No democracy should respond to a peaceful protest with violence. This is absolutely shameful,” Tharoor wrote.
He later said he traveled from Jantar Mantar to Mandir Marg police station to meet the detained Congress leaders.
“En route from Jantar Mantar to Mandir Marg police station where my party colleagues are detained. I don’t know till when I will be allowed to go but I will make sure that I stand with every one of my colleagues who are trying to protect our democracy,” he said.
The protest against the NEET controversy continues
The agitation led by the CJP is demanding accountability for alleged irregularities in the entrance exams, reforms in the education system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital by the Delhi Police on July 18, continues her hunger strike from the hospital.
Hundreds of protesters gathered again at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday to continue their movement despite Monday’s police crackdown.
Five FIRs are registered by the police
Violence broke out after protesters tried to march towards Parliament during a ‘Chalo Sansad’ rally.
Delhi Police said it has registered five FIRs in connection with alleged stone pelting, vandalism and illegal assembly.
According to police, more than 118 police officers and about 60 protesters were injured in the clashes. Authorities said they are examining more than 250 videos, including CCTV, drone and body camera footage, and are investigating whether platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram were used to mobilize participants against violence.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Protesters cite excessive force
The students who addressed the press conference alleged that the police assaulted the protesters, dragged the protesters and used excessive force in dispersing the crowd.
The CJP also accused the Delhi Police of brutality during the operation.
“The police were absolutely brutal. They smashed the skulls of many students who were protesting here. Even a 15-year-old girl was brutally beaten by the police,” CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said.
The police deny the allegations
Delhi Police has defended its actions, saying protesters pelted security personnel with stones and other objects, tried to breach barricades and vandalized government property.
Police claimed that force was used after protesters tried to break through several security barricades meant to prevent the march towards Parliament.
He considers Rahul Gandhi’s detention a ‘serious insult to democracy’
Later, in a post on X, Tharoor condemned the detention of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and other opposition leaders during their protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence.
“Forcible detention of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and other opposition leaders during their protest is a gross insult to our democracy,” he wrote.
“Physical aggression against a peaceful protest is completely unjustifiable. A responsible government listens to dissent, not silences it with police action.”
He concluded, “This is not the India our Constitution envisions. We must never allow this appalling behavior to become the new normal.”
The opposition protests after the police action
Tharoor’s remarks came hours after Delhi Police detained Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav and several other opposition leaders who staged a dharna outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Kalyan Marg residence demanding the resignation of Prime Minister and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan against action against alleged police leaks and leaks.
The opposition accused the government of stifling dissent and refusing to allow parliamentary debate on the dispute, while the Center defended police action, saying security protocols around the prime minister’s residence needed to be followed.
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka released after detention
The opposition has stepped up its attack on the Center over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and police action against student protesters, with Congress leaders demanding a debate in Parliament, the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and accountability for the alleged use of force against the protesters.
The political showdown came after Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with several senior opposition leaders were released after they were detained by the Delhi Police during a protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Kalyan Marg residence.
Rahul Gandhi: We marched to demand answers
After his release, Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress protest near the Prime Minister’s residence was organized because the opposition was not allowed to raise the issue in Parliament.
In a post on X, Gandhi said the leaders marched to Lok Kalyan Marg “to demand answers” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the alleged police action against the students.
“Government does not want to take any responsibility nor does it want to have a debate in Parliament. PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of Indian youth,” he wrote.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and NCP leader (Sharad Pawar) Supriya Sule also joined the protest.
Read also | Priyanka Gandhi attacked Modi government over police action on CJP protest in Delhi
The government says that Rahul pushed the demands
Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh claimed that the government had assured the opposition that the NEET issue could be discussed in Parliament.
According to Singh, Rahul Gandhi initially sought only a parliamentary debate, but later insisted on the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan before ending the protest.
However, Congress rejected this claim.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the opposition had already submitted calls for a discussion but the government did not allow the discussion.
“The government showed brutality yesterday and repeated it today. They are completely anti-democratic,” Venugopal said.
Kharge, Congress leaders are targeting the centre
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP-led government of suppressing dissent and acting out of fear.
He claimed that students demanding justice over exam irregularities had been met with police action instead of answers, and criticized the government for refusing to sack the education minister or allow a debate in parliament.
Kharge also alleged that Rahul Gandhi and other MPs were forcibly removed while they were peacefully protesting near the Prime Minister’s residence.
Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera demanded an apology from Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with Shah’s resignation for the police action.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also attacked the government, accusing it of authoritarianism, while Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Shukla reiterated the party’s twin demand for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation and a parliamentary debate.
Read also | CJP protesters seen cleaning Jantar Mantar site, day after police action
