Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi staged a dharna outside Delhi’s Parliament Street Police Station on Friday, demanding an FIR into alleged pellet-gun injuries suffered by student protester Sahil Lochab.
The protest ended after Delhi Police registered an FIR in the case, marking a significant development in the confrontation between the Congress and the Delhi Police over the alleged use of force against students.
Gandhi was accompanied by Lochab and his mother during the protest. Congress leaders and workers also joined the demonstration.
Why Was Rahul Gandhi Protesting?
The controversy centres on allegations that Lochab sustained injuries from pellet-gun fire during a student protest. Congress has alleged that the police used excessive force against protesters and demanded an investigation into who authorised the alleged firing.
Gandhi had demanded that an FIR be registered before ending his protest. Delhi Police had previously not registered an FIR on the complaint, prompting Gandhi to personally join the demonstration outside the police station.
FIR Registered After Protest
Delhi Police subsequently registered an FIR concerning the alleged pellet-gun injuries. The development gave Gandhi a political victory on the immediate demand that had brought him to the police station.
Congress leaders hailed the registration of the FIR as evidence that sustained political pressure had forced the authorities to act. The case will now have to establish what happened during the protest, whether pellet guns were used and who was responsible for the alleged injuries.
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BJP Hits Back at Rahul Gandhi
The protest has triggered a sharp political response from the BJP. BJP leaders have accused Gandhi of turning the issue into a political spectacle and questioned his decision to stage a protest outside a police station.
BJP president J.P. Nadda criticised Gandhi’s demonstration, while other BJP leaders accused the Congress leader of using the controversy for political purposes. Congress, meanwhile, has defended Gandhi’s action as an attempt to seek accountability for an injured student.
The Larger Political Battle
The dispute comes amid a broader confrontation between the government and opposition over student protests, policing and alleged excessive use of force. The issue has also reached the Supreme Court, which has separately ordered a high-powered inquiry into alleged police excesses during a July 20 protest.
That means the pellet-gun controversy is now part of a wider debate over police accountability, protest rights and the use of force against demonstrators.
What Happens Next?
The FIR does not establish guilt. Investigators will now have to determine the circumstances surrounding Lochab’s injuries and establish whether the allegations against police personnel are supported by evidence.
For Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, however, Friday’s protest has become an important political moment, while the BJP is framing it as an attempt to politicise a law-and-order issue.
