Headlines
All options will be explored, Kejriwal on police beating
New Delhi, July 24
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal said on Friday that his government was with all the AAP
activists and other protestors who were badly beaten up during a
demonstration against the police some three days ago.
"The
government is with you. We will explore all options," the chief minister
told a group of 35-40 young people, many of whom had suffered fractures
in their hands or legs because of what they said was "merciless
thrashing" by police personnel.
"We have to fight injustice, and we will. Don't worry," Kejriwal added.
Present
at the meeting was noted lawyer Indira Jaising, who said Delhi Police
commissioner B.S. Bassi would have to take responsibility for what
happened on July 21 day.
"Bassi is a commander of the police force. He can't shirk his responsibility," she said.
Several
of those at the meeting gave detailed descriptions of police brutality
that followed the protest against the brutal murder of a teenager at
Anand Parbat.
One man who had a sling on his left hand said that
police personnel dragged AAP activists into the police station and
assaulted them in the most brutal manner.
"The policemen kept
telling us to confess that Kejriwal had paid us money to stage this
demonstration," he said. "When we refused, saying we had come on our own
accord, the policemen resumed beating up."
Similar accounts were given by several young men and women in the conference hall of the Delhi Secretariat.
Two men lifted their T-shirts and showed the deep gashes - blue and black in colour - behind their chest and their lower back.
Speaking
on the occasion, AAP leader Dilip Pandey reiterated that a police bus
had tried run over him when he was speaking to journalists outside the
Rajendra Nagar police station.
"It was a matter of one second. Had I not been pushed out of range by my activists, I would not be alive today.
"The funny thing is that instead of registering my FIR against the police driver, police is trying to frame an FIR against me."