Delhi Police Deny Excessive Force During CJP's Parliament March, Says 30,000 Protesters Turned Violent

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Tuesday denied allegations of excessive force during the July 20 “Sansad Chalo” march against the NEET paper leak, telling the Supreme Court that the large crowd and subsequent breach of barricades warranted the use of graded force.

In an affidavit filed in response to four connected petitions seeking a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into alleged police excesses, the police said more than 30,000 protesters had gathered across a stretch of around 3 kilometres, while nearly 5,000 personnel were deployed to manage the demonstration.

The police maintained that the scale of the gathering and the violence that followed the barricade breach made the use of graded force necessary.

The police said the demonstration began peacefully, but the situation changed after protesters breached the barricades, making the crowd difficult to control.

Force described as graded

The police said the force used by its personnel was “graded” and, according to them, proportionate to the circumstances on the ground.

Hundreds injured in clashes

The police said more than 240 personnel were injured during the clashes, while around 200 protesters also suffered injuries.