‘Stop assaulting our students’

Dharmendra Pradhan is a “criminal education minister”, a symbol of the collapse of India’s education system and must be removed, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanded on Friday as he presented before the media a student protester who was allegedly shot with pellet gun by security personnel during the July 20 protests.

Rahul also demanded that there should be action against those who shot at and baton charged students, as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to students.

“You are saying that protesters have been hit by pellet guns. I want to explain when were pellet guns fired.

My brother was struck by a pellet gun when he was peacefully protesting with a tricolour in hand,” Rahul said with the injured protester, who identified himself as Sahil, by his side, as he addressed the media outside Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi’s 10, Janpath residence.

Lifting the youngster’s T-shirt to show his injuries to the media, Gandhi said Sahil’s eye was damaged and he is unable to see from that eye.

“This is the future of our country. This has happened to thousands of youth, they have been shot at with pellet guns and have been beaten up in lathi-charge.

What are they doing? They are doing peaceful protests,” the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said.

Rahul said Sahil had given an exam for recruitment in the police force but the question paper was leaked.

“His (Sahil’s) mother and father from their hard-earned money had got him this opportunity. The government must stop lying. The government has attacked our future.

“They are saying three things — the Education Minister, because of whom the students are protesting and paper leaks happened, must be removed; action must be taken against those who have fired at our future and beat them with lathis.

Narendra Modi, who is the operator of the system, should apologise to thousands of students,” Rahul said, adding that there is no surety whether Sahil’s eye can be saved or not.

“Stop assaulting and threatening our students,” the former Congress chief said, slamming the government.

Pradhan is a “criminal education minister” and a symbol of the collapse of our education system, he said, adding that Pradhan must be removed from his post.

Pradhan is the reason this brother has gotten shot, he is the reason thousands of people are outside on the streets protesting, Gandhi said.

Sahil, who was allegedly hit by the pellet gun in his right eye, said he demands justice.

He has undergone one surgery to repair the injured eye and remove pellets and is awaiting another.

He was first taken to Lady Hardinge Medical College and later to Safdarjung Hospital before being shifted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre on July 21.

The circumstances surrounding Sahil’s injuries have also raised questions about the alleged use of pellet guns during the protest.

Delhi Police has denied that its personnel used pellet guns against protesters during the march.

The CRPF, whose Rapid Action Force was also on the streets on the day, did not respond to questions about the alleged use of pellet guns.

Pellet guns were used in Kashmir to curb the violence that erupted in 2010 but were discontinued by the then state government.

In July 2016, they were used again when protestors went on a rampage following the death of banned Hizbul Mujahideen’s poster boy Burhan Wani.

A pellet gun fires cartridges loaded with up to 600 metal or rubber pellets, which disperse in a widespread manner at speeds of 1,000 feet per second.

The SOP is that the gun should be fired from a minimum distance of 500 feet. The muzzle of the gun should always targeted below the waist.