KC Venugopal denounces Delhi police's ‘fascist’ clamp‑down on student demonstrators

On Monday, Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal used a X post to rail against the Delhi police’s handling of a student march that headed toward Parliament during the opening day of the Monsoon Session. He called the forceful dispersal “unacceptable, undemocratic, fascist and criminal”, and warned the government that it is “rattled by the scale of youth anger”.

“How long will you turn a deaf ear to the cries of the youth echoing from all across India?” Venugopal asked, suggesting that the protests are only the beginning of a broader movement aimed at ousting the Modi regime. He added that a government which ignores accountability will eventually be punished by the very people it claims to serve.

The comments echoed a sharper criticism from Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who earlier branded Prime Minister Narendra Modi the “most youth‑hostile” prime minister in the country’s history. Gandhi pointed to the fallout from 152 paper leaks that affected roughly 7.5 crore students, and lamented that neither Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan nor anyone directly responsible has been forced to resign.

In a separate X post, Gandhi attached a video of the Delhi demonstrators, noting that they were not criminals but citizens demanding a fair, functional education system. “Tear‑gas and lathi‑charging students is not democratic. It’s not India’s way,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, the Delhi police reported that more than 50 of its personnel—including IPS and DANIPS officers—suffered injuries during the clash. Authorities said they have registered cases, detained several protesters, and are reviewing over 40 video recordings to identify those involved. The force also urged the public to avoid rumors and rely only on verified information.

In a bid to defuse the tension, a delegation from the protest group dubbed the “Cockroach Janata Party” met Union Health Minister Rajendra P. Nadda. The minister appealed for an end to the sit‑in and said discussions were conducted in a “cordial atmosphere”, with a written petition submitted later in the day.

As the Monsoon Session progresses, the Congress party’s dual narrative—Venugopal’s condemnation of police brutality and Gandhi’s accusation of youth‑hostility—highlights the growing political friction over the handling of student grievances and the broader question of democratic accountability in India.