New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) Just two days after students protesting over the suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula were reportedly assaulted here while marching towards the RSS office, the social media is abuzz with condemnation of the act, with Bollywood actor Swara Bhaskar decrying the “brutal” and “unprovoked” action of Delhi Police.
In an email sent to media, an indignant Swara said: “It was a peaceful students’ march in support of late Rohith Vemula calling for justice. They were simply raising the usual slogans when they were disrupted by Delhi Police in the most brutal way. May I add that the police action was totally unprovoked.”
Swara has also expressed her views on Twitter and Facebook, where she has shared a link of a video showcasing the policemen’s baton-charge on the student protestors. The video has gone viral online.
Talking about it, Swara told IANS: “The most damning aspect perhaps is, that apart from police, there are also some random goons who are hitting men and also women. This act happened in the presence and under the watch of Additional DCP Mr. Kalsi.”
Swara Bhaskar, who belongs to Delhi and is the daughter of well known strategic analyst C Uday Bhaskar, is among a new crop of young, well educated and aware actors who do not hesitate to speak out against social wrongs and community injustices and take to social media to voice their opinions fearlessly.
According to a Delhi Police official, the students manhandled the police team.
“The protestors were stopped at the barricade by a police team and asked to continue their protest peacefully but they broke the barricade. They also manhandled the police team when they were stopped,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Parmaditya told IANS.
The officer said he was unaware that the protestors were assaulted by policemen.