# Delhi police crackdown on student protests draws former IPS officer’s criticism 2026-08-12T15:41:13+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Frontline reports that recent student protests in Delhi demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has since stepped down, saw a brutal police crackdown. Available evidence suggests pellet guns and shock batons were used for crowd control for the first time. Viral videos showed police wielding nail-studded canes and plain-clothed men assaulting demonstrators, while some officers without name badges used force against women. The protests spread to states, and in Bihar's Siwan a policeman was caught on camera firing an AK-47 at protesters. AI-enabled surveillance tools, including Ikshana vans and AjnaLens smart glasses, were also deployed. Former IPS officer Vibhuti Narain Rai, a recipient of the President's Police Medal who retired as DGP of Uttar Pradesh, told Frontline the visuals were disturbing and the police did not function professionally. He said using pellet guns was unjustified without an imminent threat, and criticised the absence of senior officers on the ground. Rai also questioned plain-clothes personnel taking action and a truck loaded with stones appearing at the protest site, calling for an independent inquiry into both. ## Coverage - frontline.thehindu.com Tags: crowd control, Delhi Police, police brutality, right to protest, student protests, Vibhuti Narain Rai Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/delhi-police-crackdown-on-student-protests-draws-former-ips-officers-criticism/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/delhi-police-crackdown-on-student-protests-draws-former-ips-officers-criticism/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.