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Days after the brutal police violence on students at Jantar Mantar in Delhi protesting the NEET paper leak and other issues, Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Telangana, justified the attacks while claiming that in countries like the United States, the protesters would’ve been “shot”.
“Yes, the police did lathi charge. Other countries are more harsh. America is a democracy too, there they would've shot them,” the Chevella MP said while speaking to the media on July 25.
Vishweshwar Reddy said that since permission for the protest was limited to Jantar Mantar, it should’ve continued in the designated area. He also claimed that “farmers, Rohingyas, Kashmiris, Nepalis, Bangladeshis” were involved in the protest, justifying the police action.
“The students may have been peaceful. But others came and pushed the barricades. They were only beaten because they jumped the barricades and tried to go towards the Parliament. In other countries, they would have been shot,” he said. He also claimed that those who were assaulted by the police had demanded that they do so.
“If you jump the barricades and ask the police to hit you, they will end up hitting you,” he said.
The BJP MP also insinuated that the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which gave the call for the Parliament march on July 20, grew popular on social media due to the involvement of the US and other foreign actors. He questioned the support lent to the protests by climate and education activist Sonam Wangchuk and Opposition leaders.
“There were people wearing goggles among the protesters. There were affluent urban individuals and Leftists among the protesters, who received foreign funding and colluded with traitors,” he claimed.
Vishweshwar Reddy’s remarks were slammed by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Dasoju Sravan Kumar, who said that he spoke in an irresponsible, inhuman and unconstitutional manner.
On July 20, Delhi police and Rapid Action Force personnel brutally beat up many protesters with lathis and fired tear gas shells at them. Several individuals also suffered pellet gun injuries. Visuals also showed police officers slapping women and assaulting them in their private parts.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has demanded accountability from Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the police action, questioning who had approved the use of lethal force such as pellet guns on students.
“Our students were 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 said.
Konda Vishweshwar Reddy is one of the richest politicians in the Telugu states as per their declared assets. Previously a member of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), he switched to the Congress in 2018, and later to BJP in 2021.
