- 2 days ago
In this India Today video, anchor Preeti Chaudhury reports on Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s six-hour dharna outside the Sansad Marg Police Station in Delhi, following allegations of pellet gun injuries sustained by student Sahil Lochab during a paper leak protest. The protest ended after Delhi Police registered an FIR in the case.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching News Today at 9pm. I'm Preeti Chaudhuri. The big story today, Rahul Gandhi on Dharna 2
00:07.0 this time over pellet guns used and an FIR that he wanted lodged. Politics of anarchy or resistance. That's
00:16something we'll be discussing up next. First up, allow me to take you through the headlines.
00:24After six hours of dharna by Rahul Gandhi, Delhi police files FIR on the alleged pellet gun incident. Rahul Gandhi
00:32claims FIR filed only after Home Minister Ramit Shah gave permission. BJP takes camera GV jibe at Rahul Gandhi.
00:45CJP team attacked in Jaipur during Skool Thikkaru campaign. Villagers say don't need outsiders' help. CJP alleges BJP hand behind
00:54the attack.
00:58Amid surge in sugar prices, government denies any link with ethanol. Says share of sugar diverted for ethanol declined from
01:0712% to 9% in 2025. Government assures no shortage in sugar.
01:18And this is worrying. H1N1 cases rise in Delhi NCR. Several people have reportedly tested positive. Some patients also experiencing
01:27declining oxygen levels. Delhi government steps up surveillance.
01:36Andhra MP's son mows down woman in Hyderabad. Speeding Aston Martin rams into a woman and kills her. Janasena MP's
01:44son booked cars seized by cops. Investigation underway.
01:51Kamil Nadu, LOP, Udi Anadi Stalin rejects government cars for DMK MLAs amidst concerns over financial condition of the statics
02:00checker.
02:00TVK says cars to MLAs is not luxury but a necessity.
02:09Pelangana Chief Minister Revant Reddy denied permission to visit United States of America.
02:15MEA clarifies, says programs in U.S. not appropriate to the office held and highlights clearances to Reddy's UK visit.
02:30The battle of actors over one-day mataram.
02:33Sharmila Tagore backs Congress's two-stands-up policy of one-day mataram rendition.
02:38Kangana Ranaut hits back and the veteran actor says Sharmila's views on art limiting contrived.
02:50And Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is back in jail, move after Sharif government concluded that Imran is fit and
02:58fine.
02:58Family claims Imran being subjected to severe torture and inhuman treatment while in jail.
03:12A month after his dharna outside the Prime Minister's residence, if you remember, it was like a flash protest
03:18where suddenly Rahul Gandhi had appeared in front of the Prime Minister's residence at Seven Lok Kalyan Mark.
03:24Something similar happened today.
03:25The leader of opposition, Rahul Gandhi, staged another dharna today, demanding an FIR over the pellet injuries suffered by one
03:33student, Sahil Lochaab.
03:35After six hours sitting, squatting right outside the Sansad Mark police station, the police gave in and registered the FIR.
03:42But the BJP, meanwhile, has now accused Rahul Gandhi of promoting anarchy.
03:47Take a look at this report.
03:54A month after the police crackdown on the student march to Parliament over paper leaks, Rahul Gandhi keeps the heat
04:01on.
04:03The leader of opposition on Friday visited Connaught Place police station, demanding an FIR on the complaint filed by alleged
04:11pellet victim, Sahil Lochaab.
04:26From there, the Congress leader and Sahil went straight to the DCP's office in Parliament Street as directed by the
04:32police.
04:44After making the demands known, Rahul Gandhi and Sahil Lochaab sat on dharna outside the police station.
04:55The leader of opposition, Rahul Gandhi and Sahil Lochaab.
05:23After a dharna that lasted more than six hours, the police relented, filing an FIR.
05:38The ministrag of opposition centres from the border that gave that permit acuerdo to the filming of the Kal 건수
05:40Lochaab.
05:40The minister spent the lastANDAR in clarinet people firing an
05:50home secretary for the popular state decision.
06:15The BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of spreading anarchy.
06:32The BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of spreading anarchy.
06:42The BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of spreading anarchy.
06:55The BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of raising the stakes in the face-off with Home Minister Amit Shah, whose resignation
07:13has been sought by the Congress for the crackdown on students.
07:17The battle is nowhere near an end.
07:20Bureau Report, India Today.
07:26So before we cut across to our debate this evening, the big questions that we ask and we debate.
07:31Politics of resistance or politics of anarchy?
07:35Publicity stunt or fight for justice?
07:38Rahul's bid to corner government, is it really working?
07:41Let's take it all to our panelists this evening.
07:44Joining me, Dr. Saeed Nasir Hussain, Rajya Sabha MP.
07:48Congress, Dr. Saeed Zafar Islam, national spokesperson.
07:51BJP, former MP Rajya Sabha, Rajat Setri, political analyst.
07:55And Yashu Vardhan Azad, former IPS Special Director, Intelligence Bureau.
08:00I'd like to begin with Saeed Zafar Islam.
08:03Because, Dr. Islam, what you call anarchy, some would suggest, is just asking, which is the business of the leader
08:10of opposition of this country, asking the police here in Delhi to follow basic statutory procedure.
08:18Filing an FIR is exactly that. How does that translate into anarchy?
08:25Well, you have to understand that Mr. Rahul Gandhi has forgotten that India is a democratic country.
08:32There is a democratic institution. There is a democratic process. Everyone has to follow.
08:37This is nothing but a stunt, which will definitely backfire on him.
08:40He's trying to mislead the nation. He's trying to mislead the youth of this great country.
08:45And, if at all, he had to go to the police station. He could have spoken on the phone.
08:49Even if he really wanted to help somebody, then he should have faith in judiciary.
08:56Because he has no faith in judiciary.
08:59When the Supreme Court itself has instructed to form a committee, the High Power Committee,
09:04which is actually examining everything, whatever be the issue which needs to be examined,
09:10that is being examined by the High Power Committee, then Crime Branch is investigating it.
09:16So, one has to wait when the Supreme Court has already instructed, formed a committee,
09:21then the committee's report, definitely the committee will find out every single statement made by every student,
09:29and then they will come with the final outcome whether the pellet gun was really used,
09:37if it was used, who had used it, and then if there is a fire that needs to be filed,
09:42then it must be filed.
09:43Okay, but Dr. Islam, on three facts there.
09:46Number one, in this case, the victim, who is the alleged victim of pellet gun use, is Sahil.
09:54He says that he, along with his lawyer, for three days have been trying to get this FIR registered.
10:00That hasn't quite happened.
10:02And that is what enforced Rahul Gandhi to take up his cause and try and ask for the registration of
10:08FIR.
10:08So, he really couldn't have spoken on the phone, because for three days running, the victim was trying to register
10:14that FIR.
10:15The second thing, sir, while yes, you are correct that a judicial probe is on, but it's statutory procedure if
10:22the victim in this case wants to get an FIR lodged.
10:27Number three, multiple RTIs, multiple accounts by hospitals have suggested the use of pellet guns, something that even the Delhi
10:35police has admitted.
10:36They have admitted the use of pellet guns, sir.
10:39No, you are factually incorrect. Delhi police have said that they have never given instruction to use the pellet guns.
10:47That is something which is a disconnect.
10:48Sir, they have admitted it has been filed in Delhi police records.
10:52Not at all.
10:53Not at all.
10:53It was filed three days later.
10:55Not at all.
10:55I'll tell you, sir, it was not on the 20th of July, three days after that an entry was made
11:00at the Sansat Marthana.
11:01You must go back and see what the Delhi police statement is. Delhi police have very clearly clarified that no
11:08instruction has been given to the police officers to use the pellet gun and none of them have used the
11:12pellet gun.
11:13But if somebody was struck by the pellet gun, then it needs to be investigated who was the one who
11:19used it, who was the one who fired it.
11:21And that is why the committee has been formed by the Honourable Supreme Court.
11:26But when somebody is behaving like an anarchist Rahul Gandhi, there was no need for him to sit on dharna
11:32for an affair.
11:34I mean, how many police stations he can go?
11:36Only because there is a student involved, he is using their shoulders to pursue his own political ambition.
11:44That is not correct.
11:46You cannot use a student for your personal benefits or your political benefits.
11:51And that is what Rahul Gandhi is saying.
11:53And that is why I'm saying it is a pure stunt which will backfire on Rahul Gandhi as well as
11:59the Congress Party.
12:01All right.
12:01Okay.
12:02You're saying it's a stunt.
12:03Well, I'll go through and I'll give you all the details of when the Delhi police made that entry, the
12:08number of RTRs that were filed and confirmed at the back of the use of pellet gun, sir.
12:13So I'm going to give you exact details. But first up, let me also get in Dr. Nasser Hussain who's
12:18joining.
12:18I'll come back to you, sir, because you said I have my facts wrong. I don't have my facts wrong.
12:22I'll give you the facts.
12:23No, no, no. I'm saying that you must go back to what Dr. Jitendra Singh has spoken on the floor
12:28of the parliament.
12:28Sir, he said no gun was fired. There's a difference between pellet gun and gun.
12:32But I'll give you the facts.
12:34No, sir. You've challenged us on facts. I'll give you the facts.
12:37But allow me to bring in Dr. Nasser Hussain into this conversation.
12:41Because Dr. Nasser Hussain, Said Zafar Islam has a very strong point where he said there is a judicial probe
12:47which is on.
12:48To get into political gimmickry at the back of what you think is exploiting a victim, in this case Sahil,
12:56what are you looking to achieve out of that other than just plain exploiting the victim here?
13:04Priti, when did the Congress party get into the agitation mode?
13:10When the students were fighting their cause, when they were protesting at Jantar Mantar, Congress didn't go to Jantar Mantar.
13:17Congress didn't go and sit there with them. Congress didn't try to politicize it.
13:22But we tried to air our concerns of the students to different mediums.
13:28We had to step in and we had to escalate their agitation only when force was used against the students
13:35on 20th July.
13:37It was not just force, it was brute force.
13:39And thereafter we took it up in the Parliament and we made Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan design.
13:45We wanted Mr. Amit Shah, under whom the Delhi police comes, to come to the Parliament and make a statement
13:51that didn't happen.
13:51Now point number two, he says that India is a democratic country.
13:57It is a democratic country, but does it continue to be a democratic country?
14:02In a democratic country, it takes more than a month to file a simple FIR, which is a very, very
14:09simple procedure.
14:10Any complaint, you have to file an FIR if there is some substance in this.
14:14Delhi police says they had not issued direction to anyone to fire pallets at the students.
14:19If they had not issued instructions to fire pallets, then it is even more it is the duty to file
14:25an FIR and find out who has fired those pallets and on whose instructions he has fired those pallets.
14:30No, but Dr. Hussain, there was an entry that was made in the records of Delhi police.
14:33And there are RTLs which I'll take you through, but away from all of that.
14:35Let me, let me finish.
14:37I will let you finish, but Dr. Hussain, just one question.
14:40Isn't the Congress today exploiting a victim to gain political mileage in what was a flash protest at the Sansad
14:46Marg Thana?
14:47What is political mileage in that?
14:52You are keeping a pallet gun victim for more than a month away from the due process of the police
14:58not filing an FIR.
15:00He is going there with his advocate day in and day out.
15:02When he reaches out to LOP of this country, the leader of opposition of this country, do you think he
15:08shouldn't help this guy?
15:10He shouldn't help him to get justice?
15:12And again and again BJP spokesperson after spokesperson from Bharatiya Janta Party and different channels are saying,
15:19Supreme Court directed enquiry committee is going on.
15:24Let the enquiry committee do its job, let the police do its job.
15:28And for God's sake, don't keep on counting on the enquiry committee of the Supreme Court.
15:32It is not because of you.
15:33It is because of the Supreme Court which censored you and which said that will constitute your enquiry committee.
15:40It is on its direction that the enquiry committee is formed.
15:43They are doing their job.
15:44Okay.
15:44Will an FIR undermine the job of the enquiry committee in this country?
15:49Okay, I am going to come back to you, Dr. Islam.
15:50There is a minimum responsibility of the police to file an FIR if there is any complaint.
15:53Fair point, sir.
15:54Okay, I am going to come back to you.
15:55I want to just open up the debate.
15:56I want to bring in Rajat Sethi into this conversation.
15:59Rajat Sethi, on July 23rd, and maybe Dr. Islam, Saeed Zafar Islam, you are also I believe a doctor,
16:06can also listen into this, Mr. Islam.
16:11Which is on the 23rd of August, on the 23rd of July, Rajat Sethi,
16:17the Rapid Action Force General Diary Entry explicitly records the firing of plastic pellets on the order of a DCP,
16:24which medical reports and RTI responses then corroborate multiple times.
16:28Not once, multiple times.
16:30So nobody is, and of course there is a judicial probe in it.
16:33The question is, if, do you think it was correct for the BJP to call it anarchy at the back
16:39of what Rahul Gandhi did?
16:40At best, it is political gimmickry.
16:42It is trying to exploit the victim.
16:44How is following statutory process anarchy?
16:51So, Preeti ji, I think there are two issues.
16:55One is technical in nature.
16:57And the other is politics slash optics.
17:01On the technicalities, there are better informed panelists on the show.
17:05But there is what is being consistently said that there was already a complaint that was filed.
17:10There was already, you know, what the Supreme Court formed a committee which is looking into it.
17:16So there was no need for a separate complaint to file in at this stage.
17:20And also an FIR necessarily had to be a zero FIR because there is nobody pinpointedly who can say that
17:27this was the person who was accused.
17:28In this case, a lot of people who are writing on social media, a lot of people who have served
17:34as IPS officers, senior ones, have said that, you know, if you go after every operational move that the armed
17:41forces, police forces or the paramilitary forces do,
17:44you will end up reducing or heavily impacting the morale of these forces who would never go out and contain
17:50a situation.
17:51They would be more worried about them falling prey to any kind of a politically charged attacks later on.
17:58So this is this is where a lot of experts, technical experts have been writing that you need to draw
18:04a red line as to how much should you go in.
18:07There should be an independent committee which should look into this affair.
18:10And if it was not the operational exigency which forced the police personnel to actually use this pellet gun, in
18:18that case, yes, certain actions have to be taken and exemplary actions can be taken.
18:23But on the other side, which is the politics and the optics for it, I believe, I mean, BJP understands
18:30very well that they were optically and from a politics perspective on the downside.
18:36They morally also they could have been on top of this situation and, you know, allowed the Delhi police to
18:43to actually go out and file an FIR even before Rahul Gandhi took this as an issue.
18:47It had to be a zero FI. You don't have to pinpoint anybody, but allow that. Take some soft blows
18:52for larger interest from a political theatrics perspective that you allowed Rahul Gandhi to unleash for the entire day.
19:00I believe yet again, BJP has erred here. They could have managed the situation better.
19:05Fair point.
19:06But I will leave it here. But the technicalities also have to be looked into.
19:10Let me get it. Let me get it.
19:11Let me get it to look at the technicalities.
19:13Yes. Rahul Gandhi will do politics. The opposition is there for doing politics only.
19:18That's his job. That's his job to do politics.
19:20That is their job. Exactly.
19:20He's the leader of opposition.
19:22They will play with emotions. BJP has to be prepared for it.
19:25Okay. And I want to bring in Yashavarda and Azad because through the course of the last couple, like a
19:30month and a half now, you know, Mr. Azad, you've always stood up for the Delhi police.
19:36You said that, you know, there were casualties on both sides. There wasn't excessive force. This is how the Delhi
19:42police reacts. You've stood up for the forces.
19:44When you speak of today, the fact is, Dr. Azad, Mr. Azad, if you can lodge FIRs against unknown faces
19:56or unknown people who pelted stones, why can't an FIR be lodged at the back of this young victim who
20:04clearly has medical records to suggest he has pellet gun injuries, which is corroborated with RTI records, which says pellet
20:11guns were used.
20:12Something which was corroborated again by a rapid action force diary entry that plastic pellets were used on the 20th
20:21of July.
20:22What was so wrong in registering the FIR right in the beginning? Why wait for six hours to register that
20:27FIR?
20:29Well, let me sort of say that needless confusion has been created on this particular issue for long.
20:39And one, I did not back the police totally. I said the unprofessional acts of the police must be inquired
20:48into…
20:48Noted, sir.
20:50…the police has a higher degree of responsibility because in lawful discharge of his duties.
20:56I never go one side. Always have a balanced view about this.
21:01Number one, the point is that in this particular case, first, the Delhi police refused to accept that pellet guns
21:09were fired.
21:10Two days later, when the RAF moved in, then it was clear that it was under DCP command that pellet
21:18guns were fired and injuries took place.
21:21The problem is this was not backed by the government.
21:25And I don't know who the advisors of the government were.
21:29The government should have come out very strongly saying, yes, the pellet guns were fired in lawful discharge of duties.
21:37And whether the technicality part, whether it was premeditated violence, etc., will be judged by an inquiry.
21:48Because during a lawful discharge of police duty in crowd control, you do not lodge an FIR till a magisterial
21:58inquiry or a judicial inquiry establishes it.
22:02What happened here was that the government remained silent.
22:05The police said, ha, hum ne kia, that also much later.
22:09In that respect, then when the pellet injury guy comes to a police station, then an FIR has to be
22:16lodged.
22:17There is no two ways about it.
22:20So it's the government which did a self-goal.
22:23And partially I agree with Rajat Sethi on this particular point.
22:27This is the key issue in this.
22:29Now, the pellet gun is not banned.
22:322018, the minister in parliament said that pellet guns are not banned.
22:39It is used to be as a second life resort.
22:41Despite the fact that 2010 and 2016, there were massive reports of injuries, which the MHA has, 6,000 injuries.
22:51And after 2016, there were no use of pellet guns in the mainland.
22:58Now what has happened is a complete confusion is there because the Supreme Court has given and said that we
23:06will look into the police excesses.
23:09Now the police excesses means the violence.
23:12So that will include whether the pellet guns were fired rightly or not.
23:18Proportional means in Putuswami judgment that whether it was necessary,
23:22critical and proportional to the threat that the police faced.
23:28Fair point.
23:28You know, what we are debating is not whether pellet guns were fired.
23:32You know, Said Zafar Islam and final comments from all our panelists, they were fired.
23:36Now, was this a graded response that the judicial inquiry will, you know, come to an answer on.
23:42But let me ask you a question, Said Zafar Islam.
23:45You've been a student of politics.
23:47Optics is everything in politics.
23:48If this FIR was registered, nobody would have even known.
23:52What you gave today on a platter to the Congress was six hours of airtime where the Congress leader of
23:58opposition Rahul Gandhi,
23:59after much grandstanding, has come out smelling of roses where he's taken up the cause of the victim
24:04and then managed to lodge an FIR in six hours.
24:07If this FIR was lodged, nothing would have happened.
24:10We wouldn't have been here sitting and discussing what went down today.
24:14Well, you have to understand Rahul Gandhi's only aspiration is to politicize the issue, which is not a political issue.
24:25When it comes to students and their concern, it needs to be addressed adequately instead of misguiding them.
24:32And Rahul Gandhi is misguiding them, misleading them.
24:35And that is something which we need to understand.
24:37And as a citizen of this country, everyone needs to understand what he's up to.
24:41He's using their shoulders to pursue his own ambition.
24:44And that is why he took this opportunity to actually politicize this issue.
24:50A FIR is an FIR is an anonymized FIR.
24:53No person is being actually named in this FIR.
24:57So this judicial inquiry would have given the same outcome
25:02because the objective of the judicial inquiry is also to probe and find out who has actually fired the pellet
25:11gun.
25:11Sir, pellet guns have been admitted.
25:13I told you, sir, the rapid action force has made a diary empty that it was used.
25:17No, no, no.
25:18And whether police excesses was there or something which needs to be determined.
25:23Yes.
25:23And the judicial inquiry will be...
25:24Yes.
25:25Was it a graded response or was there excessive force used?
25:29Yes.
25:29That is what is going to be debated.
25:30That is what I'm saying.
25:32That these things need to be examined, investigated and then concluded.
25:37Okay.
25:37But Rahul Gandhiji actually instead of suggesting the student or the person that there is a judicial inquiry which is
25:45being undertaken.
25:46So you need to wait instead of actually politicizing the issue which was...
25:50But why not, sir?
25:51The FIR could have been filed nonetheless.
25:53There was an individual who wanted to exercise his right.
25:57No, no.
25:57No, no.
25:57One second, sir.
25:58I have very little time.
25:59I want to bring in everyone.
26:00So allow me to bring in everyone.
26:01I have...
26:02Let me bring in Dr. Nasir Hussain.
26:05Dr. Hussain, you know, the fact that Said Zafar Islam is raising that the attempt is not to help the
26:10students.
26:10The attempt is to leverage maximum political mileage.
26:13Even today, the discussion in the end was not that an FIR was lodged.
26:17It was more that it was lodged finally at the behest of the Home Minister.
26:20So the attempt is very clear.
26:23To take the fight to the doorstep of the Home Minister because that is what politics demands from the Congress
26:28right now.
26:29The casualty, the students.
26:31That's what the BJP is saying.
26:32Is law and order...
26:35Priti, is law and order not a political issue?
26:38Is not filing an FIR for more than one month not a political issue?
26:43Is the students protesting not a political issue?
26:48Atrocities against students is not a political issue.
26:52Agitation, large-scale agitation and a historic agitation by the students where the education minister resigns is not a political
26:59issue.
27:00Is it not true that Delhi police reports to Amit Shah?
27:04It is not true.
27:05It took LOP to go to the police station and get an FIR filed today.
27:11And it was only after the pressure was exerted at the police station by the LOP not less than the
27:18LOP of the country that Amit Shah on the instructions of Amit Shah that FIR was filed.
27:22Is it not true?
27:23So these are all political issues.
27:25Everything is political in this country.
27:27Nothing moves in this country because of politics.
27:29Okay.
27:29And for Zafar Islam who said that this country is democratic, if the country was really democratic, a FIR should
27:35have been filed on day one.
27:36All right, okay.
27:37And for Mr. Siti, that FIR would have undermined the moral of the forces.
27:47N number of court-martials have happened in this country.
27:50N number of police constabulary is behind bars.
27:52Higher level police personnel is behind bars.
27:56Okay.
27:56High level police officers, serving officers have been arrested and put behind bars because of…
28:02Okay, sir.
28:02Allow me to bring in Rajat Sethi and Yashavarda Nazar for one final comment each.
28:06Rajat, final comments.
28:10Well, since there is no question, I will just give a general comment.
28:13So, Nasir ji, I agree with that.
28:17There have been court-martials, but only after due processes.
28:20You have to allow the police forces or the RAF due process.
28:25What Supreme Court is doing is offering a due process.
28:28What Rahul Gandhi ji is trying to do is not due process.
28:32Mr. Sethi, what we are asking is for simple FIR to be filed to find out as to who is
28:39that person,
28:40who used that pellet gun against the student or who is that person who issued instruction to use the pellet
28:46gun.
28:46Sir, sir, I am running out of time.
28:47Let Rajat make his point.
28:49And then I need to go to Yashavarda Nazar.
28:50Rajat bai, quickly.
28:51Again, the simple point remains that use of pellet guns under what operational conditions,
28:57under what exigencies, under what level of escalation is allowed, is not allowed.
29:02Do you know that it is illegal absolutely to use plastic?
29:06Is it a non-lethal weapon?
29:07Is it in an orderly manner, in an escalatory manner?
29:11Is this the right weapon to use or not to use?
29:14There are operational manuals.
29:16You are jumping to a conclusion that there was a crime which has happened here.
29:19Yashavarda Nazar, sir, final comments, no time for questions, no time for rebuttal.
29:24I don't think the issue is that the pellet gun should have been used or should have not been used.
29:29That is not the issue.
29:30The issue is also not about the police action in this particular respect.
29:37The issue is that it was found out that the pellet gun was used, but the government did not back
29:44it.
29:44The Home Minister should have said that the Delhi police in its lawful discharge of duties have used the pellet
29:52gun.
29:53And under what circumstances…
29:54And maybe that FIR should have been lodged and the Congress would not have walked away with six hours of
30:00footage or even this debate this evening.
30:04We are going to leave it at that.
30:05I thank all four of you for joining us.
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