The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has accused Delhi Police of brutally assaulting Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas and leaving him injured on the roadside amid the crackdown on protests organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The allegation has intensified the political controversy surrounding Saturday’s demonstrations in the national capital, where police detained protesters and several political leaders ahead of a planned rally at Jantar Mantar.
Brittas, a CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member from Kerala, was among the opposition leaders who criticised the police action against CJP activists. The protests were organised over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with demonstrators demanding accountability from the Chief Election Commissioner.
According to reports, police intercepted protesters and detained several people before they could reach the designated protest venue. The extensive security deployment, barricading and restrictions on movement prompted criticism from opposition parties, which questioned the authorities’ handling of the demonstration.
The CPM shared a video on social media showing Brittas visibly distressed beside a Delhi Police bus, with people helping him stand and walk towards an autorickshaw. A police officer is also seen assisting him. However, the precise circumstances in which Brittas sustained his injuries, including where and how the incident occurred, remained unclear in the report.
The incident occurred as the CJP protest entered its second day on Sunday. Brittas was among several demonstrators detained while marching towards Jantar Mantar from the Connaught Place area. He had also been detained during Saturday’s protest, when police detained nearly 7,000 people, according to the report.
The controversy has widened the confrontation between opposition parties and the authorities over the handling of the demonstrations. Opposition leaders have questioned the scale of the police response, while the protests have brought renewed attention to concerns over electoral roll revision and the constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
