Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi intensified his attack over the alleged use of pellet guns during the July 20 student protest in Delhi. On Friday, Gandhi staged a sit-in outside Parliament Street Police Station alongside 19-year-old Sahil Lochab, who claims that security personnel injured him with pellet guns during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march. Gandhi said police had refused to register an FIR based on Lochab’s complaint. He entered the police station with the student and other Congress leaders, but later sat outside after officials allegedly declined to register the case. Gandhi told reporters that Lochab had suffered multiple pellet injuries and displayed metallic pellets that doctors had reportedly recovered from his body. He also alleged that police officials had received instructions “from the top” not to register the FIR.
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Rahul Gandhi Stages Sit-In Over FIR
The protest quickly turned into a major political confrontation as several senior Congress leaders and party workers joined Gandhi outside the police station. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and Kumari Selja were among those who accompanied him. Gandhi said he would continue his sit-in until the police formally registered an FIR concerning Lochab’s injuries. Delhi Police, however, gave a different account of the matter. The force said it had accepted the student’s complaint and informed him that officials would forward it to the Crime Branch, which is already investigating cases registered in connection with the July 20 violence. Police also said investigators had assigned an investigating officer to the matter. The Congress, however, alleged that authorities had not disclosed the officer’s identity and continued to question why the police had not registered a separate FIR on Lochab’s complaint.
The wider controversy centres on allegations that security personnel used pellet guns when hundreds of students attempted to march towards Parliament on July 20. The Congress has alleged that personnel from the Rapid Action Force used the weapons during the confrontation. Delhi Police has repeatedly denied using pellet guns, while the CRPF has not publicly clarified its position on the allegation. Accounts from injured protesters, medical records and a recent investigation have nevertheless raised questions about whether pellet guns were used during the protest. An RTI response obtained by TMC leader Saket Gokhale reportedly indicated that at least 10 people suffered pellet-related injuries. The protest turned violent as students demonstrated over alleged examination paper leaks and demanded the resignation of the then Education Minister. The minister resigned days after the demonstrations. The allegations of excessive force subsequently became a major issue during Parliament’s Monsoon Session.
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Pellet Gun Use Alleged During July 20 Protest
Gandhi has repeatedly highlighted Lochab’s injuries and demanded accountability from the authorities. Last month, he showed images and details of the student’s injuries during a media interaction and questioned how protesters could have suffered pellet injuries if the police did not use such weapons. According to the Congress, Lochab and his lawyers approached the police several times seeking registration of an FIR, but the attempts did not produce the desired result. Gandhi has also directly blamed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the alleged use of excessive force during the student protest. He has demanded that Shah clarify in Parliament whether he authorised the use of pellet guns against the protesters. On Friday, Gandhi stepped up his criticism, accusing the Home Minister of avoiding accountability and saying that an FIR and judicial inquiry should follow.
The dispute over the alleged use of pellet guns has now moved beyond the political arena and reached the Supreme Court. The top court has constituted an expert committee to examine allegations that security forces used excessive or disproportionate force during the July 20 protest. The committee’s findings could play an important role in determining what happened during the confrontation and whether officials violated established procedures. Meanwhile, the Congress continues to demand a formal investigation into the injuries suffered by protesters, while Delhi Police maintains that it has accepted the relevant complaints and that the Crime Branch is investigating the cases. Rahul Gandhi’s latest protest has therefore brought the pellet-gun controversy back into the spotlight, putting fresh pressure on the authorities to explain the circumstances surrounding the reported injuries and the handling of the complaints.
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