Delhi police crackdown on student protests draws former IPS officer’s criticism

The Story in Brief

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.