By Mahmood Asim, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: The police retorted to lathi-charge and detained some the protesters outside the Israeli Embassy on Monday, as protests by different groups continued for the third consecutive day. Monday’s protest was jointly organized by Khudai Khidmatgar, United Muslim Front, SIMT, JNUSU, SIO, PFI, APCR DSU, AISF, SFI, AISA and some other social and human rights organizations.
On the third consecutive day in front of the Israeli embassy various organizations registered their strong protest over Israeli bombing and genocide in Gaza which left more than 172 dead and over 1200 injured here in New Delhi. Protesters condemned the Israeli attack and demanded from the Indian Government to shaver all ties with them.
It is worth mentioning that protests not only registered in the capital but series of demonstrations erupted in major parts of the country.
But instead of permitting peaceful demonstration Delhi Police brutally lathi0charged and detained all the protesters including 14 females and 45 male and took them to the Tuglaq Road Police Station. They also behaved roughly with some of the journalists present at the scene. This Reporter too was briefly detained and when he told police that he is a Scribe, “you are their (protesters’) media,” a police personnel quipped.
Kavita Krishnan of CPI (ML) was literally dragged off while she was speaking to the media and was hurt by the helmet of a police. “I am shocked with the way police treated us, this is the profiling of certain protesters,” she said, adding that the police was selectively checking the I-card of those protesters who had beard.
“India from left to Gandhi has been pro-Palestine, we want to know whether this government is trying to create India with Israel instead of India with Palestine,” she added.
The same echo was heard by JNUSU President Akbar Choudhri. “We have been witnessing crushing of democratic right of protest; are they determined to create police state?” Choudhri asked. Wondering on police squad even at JNU campus he questioned, “Why they are profiling JNUSU and not giving chance to even protest peacefully.”
Ovais Sultan of Palestine Solidarity Group said, “They expose their agenda themselves, the brutality shown by police indicates the nexus of Hindutva and Zionism.”
Kashif Ahmad of APCR and Aneesur Rahman of SIO also condemned the police brutality. “Indian government seems to be becoming the Indian version of Jewish state in Israel, it should make its stand clear on Palestine,” Anees said.
Clad in veil, Shaheen Quraishi of the Wakeup Call, was one of the many female protesters, hit by police’ baton. When asked why she came to the protest, she told TCN, “We want to make Israel feel that they are doing wrong, I did not come because Palestinians are Muslims.”
Police, however, could not stop the protesters as even after detention they continued chanting Pro-Palestine slogans and condemned the Israeli attack and the police brutality. After their release, some of the protesters addressed the media.
Meanwhile, Jamaat Islami Hind, Muslim Majlise Mushawrat and some other organizations have given a call for another protest on Friday in front of the Israel Embassy, condemning the Israeli attack.
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