No action taken on complaint of women activists; NSUI stages protest outside police station in Delhi

NEW DELHI: The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) staged a sudden protest outside the Parliament Street Police Station on Thursday night, alleging that no action had been taken over the assault on women activists during a protest at Jantar Mantar.

The protest, led by NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar, began around 9 pm and soon turned tense. Police arrested and removed activists who blocked the road. Jakhar and several others were taken into custody.

Meanwhile, Athira Vijayan, the Malayali activist who was allegedly assaulted, along with MP Jebi Mather and CPI leader Annie Raja, continued their protest outside the police station late into the night. They said they would not call off the protest until a case was registered.

The protesters had demanded action within 24 hours over the alleged assault on women activists, including Malayali student Athira, during a demonstration seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. They had filed a complaint with the police on the previous day, following which the police had assured them that action would be taken.

The activists returned to the police station alleging that the assurance had not been honoured. However, the police maintained that a case could not be registered in Delhi as a Zero FIR had already been registered in Kerala.

NSUI activists alleged that Jakhar and others were dragged along the road before being taken into custody. Meanwhile, Abhijeet Deepke, founder of the CJP, held an emergency press conference around midnight. Questioning why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was afraid of the Tiranga march, Deepke said the organisation would continue its peaceful protests.