Mumbai: Auxiliary Bishop Savio Fernandes, one of the senior clergy members of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bombay, has described the police action against students during a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi as a "black day for democracy", calling for an independent and impartial inquiry into the incident.
Commenting on the events of July 20, Bishop Fernandes said videos from the protest appeared to show police using force against young people participating in what seemed to be a peaceful, Gandhian-style demonstration. He said the students were exercising what they believed to be their constitutional right to assemble peacefully and voice concerns over alleged shortcomings in the education system.
"A confident democracy does not fear peaceful protest. It engages with it," the bishop said, adding that democratic institutions must listen to citizens and accept responsibility when systems fail.
Fernandes also sought an investigation into allegations that attempts may have been made to provoke sections of the gathering or disrupt the peaceful nature of the protest. He said anyone found responsible for violence or provocation should be held accountable, stressing that "the rule of law must apply equally to everyone".
Expressing concern over images showing activist Sonam Wangchuk being detained behind white sheets, the bishop said the footage had raised serious questions about transparency and public accountability.
He urged the government to respond with humility rather than defensiveness and reiterated the need for an independent inquiry. If excessive force had been used against peaceful protesters, he said, those responsible should be identified and held accountable.
The bishop further maintained that an electoral mandate does not entitle any government to disregard criticism or equate dissent with disloyalty. "Governments exist to serve the people, not the other way around," he said.
Media visuals and reports from Tuesday indicate that while police did use force to restrain protesters, some of the agitators attacked police personnel and media representatives covering the protest. A journalist representing a television channel reported that he was assaulted by a group that tore his shirt and took away his wallet, mobile phone and spectacles.
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