New Delhi: Civil groups have condemned both the hooligans for disrupting the peaceful movement for the rights of women and the Delhi Police for unnecessary use of power against the peaceful protestors at India Gate on Sunday.
“The legitimate struggle to make society safer for women and to prosecute the rapist in the fast track court by the concerned citizens was today hijacked by some infiltrators who had derailed the peaceful protest by turning it violent. The agitation turned violent towards the evening and appeared to have been taken over by the infiltrated hooligans. A car was overturned and wooden seating planks laid out for the Republic Day parade were set afire by the infiltrators which is a condemn-able act. A constable Subhash Tomar was also injured with other Police officials,” said civil groups in a joint statement Sunday night.
The groups also condemned police action against the peaceful protestors in the evening at India Gate.
“…Delhi Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protestors who were protesting peacefully by sitting near the India Gate. The Delhi Police also lathi charged on the protestors who included old aged and women. Many protesters and Media person where also injured. The Police had resorted to these acts even before these incidents of violence,” the statement said.
For last two days hundreds of people are protesting against the gang-rape of a 23-year-old medical student last week and demanding capital punishment to the culprits.
The civil groups have demanded the government:
To investigate into the incident and book the culprit infiltrators responsible for violence
To order an inquiry against the irresponsible policemen
To amend the law for punishment of the rapist and violence against women immediately
Signatories to the statement are:
Ravi Nitesh (Core Member-Mission Bharathiyam)
Mohamed Tanveer (Co-ordinator Delhi, National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation)
Devika Mittal (Co-ordinator -Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign)
Advocate Mohamed Yusuf (Human Rights activist –Tamil Nadu)
Dr Bashar (Human Rights activist –Assam)
Shaheen Muhammad (Fimamaker-Mumbai)
Shekhar Jain (Patent Analyst-Delhi)
Aditya Dubey (Mission Bhartiyam)
Aftab Fazil (Inquilab-Delhi)
Reny Aline (Human Rigths Activist – Kerala)
Adv Shabana Khan (Mumbai)
Shah Alam (Awam Ka Cinema)
M Kakinji (Human Rigths Activist -Karnataka)
Lateef Mohamed Khan (Civil Liberties Monitor Committee -Andra Pradesh)
Shariq Naqvi (Documentary maker)
Dr. Rafat Seema (NISA-AP)
Yugal Kishore Shastri (Ayodhya Ki Awaaz)
Shadab Bashar (Buniyad-Ek Behtar Kal Ki)
Maaz Khan (AFDWOSE)
Gufran Khan (Yuva Koshish)
Sibaprasad Routaray (UYASD-Orissa)