The Congress on Saturday condemned the police action at Delhi's Jantar Mantar that led to activist Sonam Wangchuk being shifted to a hospital, alleging the government viewed peaceful protests as a law-and-order issue rather than a democratic right to be protected.
Attacking the BJP, the opposition party also said it was a shame that the world's largest democracy was being "ruled" by the most undemocratic and anti-democratic political party in the world.
Congress' media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera, said the Constitution guarantees the right to dissent, but the home ministry appears determined to deny it.
"The Delhi Police reports directly to the home ministry, the very ministry that appointed a new police commissioner in Delhi just yesterday. If today's crackdown is his first brief, it sends a chilling message: political obedience takes precedence over Constitutional duty," Khera said.
From dragging away women wrestlers to manhandling ex-servicemen, this government has repeatedly demonstrated its contempt for the Constitution, he alleged.
"Today's actions lay bare this government's mindset: peaceful protest is not a fundamental democratic right to be protected, but a law-and-order problem to be crushed," Khera said.
"It is a shame that the world's largest democracy is being 'ruled' by the most undemocratic and anti-democratic political party in the world," he said.
His remarks came after Wangchuk was shifted to the Safdarjung Hospital early Saturday as his health deteriorated on the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, with the police citing medical advice and directions of the Delhi High Court.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma told PTI that Wangchuk was hospitalised in accordance with the Delhi High Court's directions after his health worsened and is receiving the required medical intervention.
In a statement, Delhi Police said Wangchuk was shifted for "essential medical care" following expert medical advice and in compliance with the high court's orders.
Some protesters tried to obstruct the exercise, leading to a brief commotion, but police personnel exercised maximum restraint and completed the operation successfully, it added.
The police also appealed to the protesters to end their agitation, saying they should peacefully vacate the protest site at the earliest.
Soon after the police action, Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijit Dipke alleged that the protesters were subjected to a police crackdown.
"I have been beaten up and put under detention by Delhi Police," Dipke said in a post on X.
Dipke said he had gone to a friend's house to freshen up and alleged he was beaten by police and detained for some time. He called for protests across the country against the police action.
In a post on X, CJP shared a video of Wangchuk being removed from the protest site in a white sheet.
"A frail old man, after 20 days of a hunger strike, was picked up, wrapped in white sheets and taken away by Delhi Police. This is a national shame," the CJP said.
Wangchuk and the three activists from AISA have been on an indefinite hunger strike since June 28 in support of the CJP-led protest over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the reported deaths of students linked to the controversy.
Their health had shown a steady decline over the past three weeks.
(With inputs from PTI)
