New Delhi, 04 September (H.S.): Various groups staged a protest outside the Parliament Street Police Station on Friday, demanding action against the police over the alleged attack on Sanjay, father of Nishu Azad, who had participated in a demonstration organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, and calling for the arrest of the accused.

The protest was attended by Congress leaders, Independent MP Pappu Yadav, student leaders of Left parties and workers of the Bhim Army. Independent MP Pappu Yadav sat at the protest site alongside victim Nishu Azad and her supporters. During the demonstration, protesters raised strong slogans against the Delhi Police and the Central government.

The protesters alleged that Nishu Azad’s father had been subjected to a life-threatening attack two months ago, in which he suffered serious injuries to his head. At the time of the incident, Nishu Azad had appealed to the Delhi Police for justice and the arrest of those responsible. However, the protesters alleged that even after two months, the accused continue to move around openly and have themselves admitted to the crime.

The protesters demanded that since the accused had allegedly admitted to carrying out the attack, they should be arrested immediately and booked under stringent provisions, including attempt to murder.

Meanwhile, CJP leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurabh Das also reached the protest site. Ranka told the media that Saurabh and his entire team had been continuously demanding that the Delhi Police immediately arrest the accused and invoke charges of attempt to murder against them. He alleged that the Delhi Police was acting at the behest of BJP leaders and Kapil Mishra and was shielding the accused. Ranka questioned why, when a large police force could be deployed to stop a peaceful protest, even one-tenth of that force had not been used to arrest those whom he alleged had openly admitted to the crime.

Independent MP Pappu Yadav, who was sitting at the protest, launched a sharp attack on the functioning of the Delhi Police and the government. He asked whether daughters and Dalits would continue to face such atrocities. He alleged that the government was against women, minorities and Dalits and questioned why justice was not being delivered to the daughter of the country. He further alleged that the nexus between the police, criminals and the ruling party was working to undermine democracy and the Constitution, which would not be tolerated.

Congress MP Naseer Hussain also questioned the intentions of the government and the police and expressed support for the victim’s family. He said the Congress stood with every citizen who had faced injustice.

It may be recalled that a video of Swatantra Bhardwaj, who was allegedly involved in the attack on Sanjay Azad, had recently surfaced. In the video, he made certain claims that Azad’s supporters on social media described as an admission of involvement in the attack. They questioned why Swatantra had been released by the police and why charges of attempt to murder had not been invoked against him.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar