NEW DELHI: More than 60 lawyers from various district courts in Delhi gathered at the Tis Hazari court complex on Saturday to protest against the police action on demonstrators during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) march from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament on July 20.The protest, organised by the group ‘Youth for Justice’, was held inside the court complex, where participating advocates alleged that police had used excessive force against peaceful protesters, news agency PTI reported.The lawyers sang the national anthem and jointly recited the Preamble to the Constitution, reaffirming their commitment to the constitutional values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.They said the symbolic act was meant to reiterate their faith in the rule of law and the constitutional right to peaceful protest.Addressing the gathering, adv Ashu Bidhuri, founder of Youth for Justice, said the students were exercising their constitutional right to protest peacefully.He further said that the police should have engaged with them through dialogue instead of using force, PTI reported.“Protest is a constitutional right which police cannot curtail with brutal force. Freedom of speech and expression was also put in danger on July 20,” Bidhuri said.He also called for a judicial inquiry under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge and said police personnel responsible for assaulting student protesters should face punishment.“We are against the atrocities committed against the students, the lathicharge, the use of tear gas, pellet guns, etc. We demand a judicial inquiry, overseen by a retired Supreme Court judge. We demand that the guilty police officers be punished, terminated, and that the students be given justice,” he said.The July 20 ‘Sansad Chalo’ march witnessed clashes between protesters and security personnel after demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament, demanding the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak issue.Police used lathis and tear gas to disperse the protesters at multiple locations, after which FIRs were registered at Connaught Place, Parliament Street and other police stations.(With agency inputs)
