Women's rights activists and gender diverse groups gathered in New Delhi on Saturday, staging a robust protest outside the Delhi Police Headquarters. They demanded immediate legal and disciplinary action against police personnel accused of sexual assault and harassment during ongoing demonstrations against the Election Commission of India.
Carrying placards proclaiming "You can threaten us, but you cannot silence us" and "Mahilae maangti har tarah ke shoshan daman se mukti" (Women demand freedom from all forms of exploitation and oppression), the demonstrators marched from near Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. Their protest highlighted what they described as widespread police repression and violence targeting women, transgender, and non-binary individuals since July 20, with reports escalating sharply from October 2. Organisations involved stated they possessed videos, photographs, and personal testimonies documenting instances of sexual harassment and physical violence. These included footage reportedly showing male police personnel assaulting women and claims of sexual violence occurring within detention buses and centres. A particularly disturbing allegation involved a young woman journalist, who reported an assistant commissioner of police-rank officer grabbing her breasts. When she attempted to file a complaint, authorities reportedly detained her and registered an FIR against her and others.
A delegation representing various feminist, queer, and women's groups later met Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Jagdev Singh after briefly blocking the road. They submitted a memorandum seeking strict action and an end to impunity for sexual assault, demanding protection for women and gender-diverse people to participate in public life without fear. The groups condemned these alleged actions as "misogynistic attempts to silence women's voices" and a broader effort to exclude them from politics. They also cited instances of casteist, communal, and gender-based abuse faced by protesters, accusing authorities of inaction. Beyond police accountability, the activists opposed the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The demonstration forms part of a series of protests against the Election Commission, frequently met with allegations of police repression.
Organised by a coalition including AIDWA, NFIW, AIPWA, AIMSS, Collective, ALIFA, AICCWW, Pragatisheel Mahila Sangathan, and Purogami Mahila Sangathan, the march underscored persistent calls for justice and systemic change.
Image: sahilonline.org
📰 Source: Sahil Online