‘Assault on democracy’: CPI(M) MP John Brittas alleges police assault; seeks CJI intervention

CPI(M) leader and Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas sustained injuries and was taken to RML Hospital after allegedly being manhandled and dragged by Delhi Police personnel during protests against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday.

Following the incident, Brittas formally sought urgent intervention and an independent probe from President Droupadi Murmu, Rajya Sabha Chairman C. P. Radhakrishnan, and Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant.

‘Dragged for 50 metres, abandoned on roadside’

In identical letters addressed to the three constitutional authorities, Brittas detailed the alleged assault, stating that he was dragged for approximately 50 metres by Delhi Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel while peacefully interacting with journalists in the Connaught Place area.

He alleged that he was forcibly lifted into a police vehicle, physically assaulted inside, and subsequently abandoned on the roadside. A video shared by the CPI(M) showed the MP collapsing on the steps of a police bus as he was physically lifted during his detention. He was later taken to RML Hospital for a medical examination and X-rays to check for possible chest injuries.

According to his letter, Brittas arrived in the area around 12:30 PM after receiving reports that young activists were being assaulted and detained. He claimed the police continued to manhandle him despite repeated assertions from both him and nearby journalists that he was a Member of Parliament.

He noted that he was released only after instructions from a Deputy Commissioner of Police, who determined that the detention was unlawful.

Demands for an independent probe

Brittas has called for a court-supervised independent investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprised of officers unconnected to the personnel involved, or by another independent agency.

To support the probe, the MP has requested the immediate preservation of video recordings, vehicle identification and movement details, deployment records, duty rosters, and other crucial evidence. He also sought protection for witnesses, journalists, and bystanders present during the incident.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s earlier directions on handling protests in Delhi, Brittas argued that the timing of the incident raises serious questions about respect for constitutional safeguards for peaceful expression and personal liberty.

Oppn leaders condemn ‘appalling’ mistreatment

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, strongly condemned the incident.

“This is appalling. @JohnBrittas is a respected Parliamentarian and a valued and active member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs. As its chair, I condemn the mistreatment of a distinguished Member and call on the @DelhiPolice to investigate the incident. There are standards of policing in a democracy that must be upheld!” Tharoor wrote in a post on X.

CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha visited Brittas at RML Hospital. In a post on X, the CPI(M) condemned the “brutal attack,” stating, “Delhi Police has crossed all limits.”

Baby accused the Delhi Police of turning their vehicles into “torture camps” for student and youth activists.

“Scores of student and youth activists, including SFI President Adarsh M Saji and DYFI CEC member Jaick C Thomas, were assaulted inside police vehicles,” Baby stated on X, adding that women protesters were also attacked and detained for hours. “The police have turned Delhi into a war zone,” he remarked.

Brittas hits out at Modi, Shah

Following the incident, Brittas took to X to criticise the central government. “Modi and Shah will pay a heavy price for this. The Delhi Police have become mad dogs,” he wrote.

In a subsequent post, he asserted that the agitation would continue, stating that protesters would not retreat even if “dragged through the streets, beaten with lathis or trampled with boots.”

Prior to his detention, Brittas argued that the government had lost its moral authority by allegedly ignoring the Supreme Court’s directives. “Every bloodshed on Delhi streets will have repercussions on this government,” he said, calling for the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah.

The detention occurred as protesters gathered in central Delhi for a second consecutive day to demand CEC Kumar’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which organised the protest, vowed to continue the agitation despite the heavy police crackdown.