Opposition leaders and journalists accused police of heavy-handed tactics during weekend demonstrations, as authorities locked down New Delhi ahead of a fresh rally against the election chief.
Authorities deployed thousands of personnel across central Delhi for a third straight day, erecting heavy metal barricades and closing key metro stations before a march called by Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi.
The Election Commission of India, which oversees the voting process in the world’s most populous nation, has denied wrongdoing.
But attention has increasingly shifted to the police response after a chaotic weekend in which thousands of protesters, including members of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, were detained, according to local media reports.
Most of those detained, including three top leaders of the CJP, have since been released.
Opposition figures have accused authorities of trying to suppress dissent through mass detentions.
Parliamentarian John Brittas of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) alleged he was “manhandled, dragged, assaulted” by police during Sunday’s demonstrations.
“This is not merely an assault on an MP. It is an assault on democratic freedoms and the rule of law,” Brittas said.
Police did not respond to questions on detentions or their actions during a news conference on Sunday.
Several journalists covering the protest said they were detained despite prominently displaying their press cards.
Reporters Without Borders said at least 16 journalists were detained during the weekend protests, calling the actions “unacceptable”.
The capital was bracing for a fresh showdown yesterday, with Gandhi, leader of the Congress party, urging supporters to join a march to the Supreme Court.
“There is nothing to fear,” he said on social media on Sunday.
“These cowards can do absolutely nothing to us.” — AFP
