The police denied the allegations claiming the protesting women threw stones at them prompting them to use ‘minimal force’.
Afnan Habib | TwoCircles.net
NEW DELHI — In a viral video clip circulating online, UP police officers are seen beating, hurling abuses, and hitting protesting Dalit women with lathis, leading to accusations of police brutality. The police, who have denied the allegations, claimed that the women threw stones at them and their vehicles, causing them to use “minimal” force.
The incident took place in Jalalpur in the Ambedkar Nagar area of Uttar Pradesh.
Police in UP’s Ambedkar Nagar resorted to violence against women protesters.
Viral video shows women were dragged and manhandled by male cops.
Politicians and activists including @BhimArmyChief condemned the incident and criticised Yogi Adityanath’s police policy.
Watch: pic.twitter.com/EPK5CPZ08W
— Maktoob (@MaktoobMedia) November 6, 2022
The vandalism of BR Ambedkar’s statue in the neighbouring region prompted the women to protest. The demonstration occurred after upper-caste Hindu men threw ink at Ambedkar’s statue after a fight broke out nearby.
On Sunday night, some individuals attempted to occupy a plot of land in Ambedkar Nagar, where Ambedkar’s statue once stood. The Dalit men and women reported the desecration of the Ambedkar statue to the police.
Additionally, they erected a roadblock and halted local traffic. The female protesters resisted when the police attempted to get the traffic moving again.
The video drew reactions from various people across the country. Chandrashekhar Azad, a Dalit rights activist and the president of the Bhim Army, reacted to the incident in a tweet, saying, “The demonstration took place after upper-caste Hindu males threw ink at Ambedkar’s statue after a fight broke out nearby. On Sunday night, some individuals attempted to occupy a plot of land in Ambedkar Nagar, where Ambedkar’s statue once stood. The Dalit men and women reported the desecration of the Ambedkar statue to the police.”
In a different video, some women can be seen assaulting and pulling the hair of female police officers. Ambedkar Nagar police officer Ajit Kumar Sinha said, “During the chaos, some protestors also attacked and vandalized a police car. The police then had to use minor force to bring the situation under control.”
Two FIRs were filed, according to the superintendent of police Ajit Sinha. The first complaint was made against people who allegedly vandalized the Ambedkar statue, while the second was against those who reportedly assaulted police officers.
Afnan Habib is a freelance journalist based in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. He tweets @afnanhabib_