Delhi police accused of sexually harassing journalists at protest — SkimNews
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- Three female journalists accused Delhi police officers of sexual harassment, including inappropriate touching, during protests in the capital, with Delhi Police saying the complaint was transferred to its crime branch for a "fair and impartial" inquiry.
- Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said women fear for their safety and demanded the home ministry "answer for this," while activist and JNU student Aahna Singh told Reuters "police dragged me by my hair" and described police "brutality."
- Thousands of protesters filled Delhi and Mumbai for a third consecutive day demanding the resignation of Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), a voter-roll revision that has struck 130 million names since last year.
- Online videos showed people being physically dragged away from the Jantar Mantar protest site in central Delhi, underscoring the physical tactics at the demonstrations.
- The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a pressure group that began as an online satirical movement and forced Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation in July, called the latest protest after The Indian Express reported two fellow commissioners formally objected at least 14 times over 10 months to Kumar's unilateral decisions.
- The Election Commission defended its conduct, stating that "differing views" were part of the decision-making process and that all decisions were taken unanimously — a claim protesters say benefits Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.
Why it matters: The sexual harassment allegations against Delhi police at a protest over a 130 million-name voter purge add a law-and-conduct dimension to an already explosive electoral-integrity fight. With opposition leaders publicly demanding ministerial accountability and videos of forced removals circulating, the Election Commission's defense of its 130 million deletions now competes with documented claims of police brutality against journalists and activists.
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