MP John Brittas Alleges Police Assault During New Delhi Protests

Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has called for an independent investigation after alleging he was brutally manhandled and assaulted by security forces in New Delhi on Sunday. Brittas reported that Delhi Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel forcibly dragged him away and pinned him down inside a police bus, causing him to feel suffocated. He stated that he repeatedly informed officers of his status as a Member of Parliament before a Deputy Commissioner of Police ordered his release.

The incident occurred during demonstrations organized by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and backed by the INDIA bloc. Protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission's functioning and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Government officials have denied these allegations.

Following the encounter, Brittas wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, and Rajya Sabha Chairman CP Radhakrishnan. He cited a breach of parliamentary privilege and violations of constitutional freedoms, arguing that the government cannot use police as an instrument of political retaliation. Security forces detained over 200 demonstrators on Sunday and thousands more on Saturday to prevent marches toward the protest site.