NEW DELHI: RAF assistant commandant Sonia Sehrawat has found herself at the centre of a political controversy days after clashes between security personnel and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march in Delhi.The CRPF officer, who was injured during the protest, is now facing criticism over an alleged Instagram story targeting the protesters, with Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also taking a swipe at her.Sonia Sehrawat is an assistant commandant in the Rapid Action Force (RAF), the specialised anti-riot wing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).She was among the officers deployed during the CJP’s ‘Sansad Chalo’ march at Jantar Mantar and surrounding areas on July 20.During the clashes between protesters and security personnel, Sehrawat sustained an injury to her hand.She later spoke to the media, rejecting allegations that RAF personnel used excessive force against demonstrators.She maintained that no protester was assaulted by her team and said ensuring the safety of women remained the force’s priority.According to publicly available information, Sehrawat is a native of Bahadurgarh in Haryana and completed her education at the University of Delhi.She joined the CRPF after clearing the Union Public Service Commission’s Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) examination and has been serving in the force since 2023.Apart from her professional role, Sehrawat has built a significant presence on social media.Her Instagram account has more than 6.2 lakh followers, where she regularly shares fitness videos, dance reels, lifestyle content and glimpses from her life in uniform.The controversy erupted after a screenshot of an alleged Instagram story attributed to Sehrawat began circulating on social media.The story reportedly featured the image of what appeared to be a dead cockroach with the caption: “Can’t fix themselves and they wanna fix the country.”
RAF Assistant Commandant Sonia Sehrawat’s instagram story
The post was widely interpreted as a reference to the Cockroach Janta Party and its ongoing protests over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.As criticism mounted online, the story was reportedly deleted. The CRPF has not issued any official statement on the controversy.The development came days after the July 20 CJP protest, during which demonstrators clashed with Delhi Police and RAF personnel while attempting to march towards Parliament.Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also targeted Sehrawat on social media, referring to her remarks during a media interaction about RAF personnel not wearing visible name tags during crowd control.Sharing a clip of the interaction, Moitra posted on X:“First in any police service globally- when asked why her force were without name tags while beating protestors RAF Assistant Commandant Sonia says ‘Name tags can fall in the crowd, so we keep them in pockets.’ Madam- sharm bhi pocket mein hai kya?”The remarks have further fuelled the debate surrounding the conduct of security personnel during the CJP protest.The July 20 ‘Sansad Chalo’ march witnessed clashes between protesters and security forces, with both sides accusing each other of violence.The CJP has alleged excessive use of force against protesters, while Delhi Police has maintained that action was taken after demonstrators attempted to breach security barricades.So far, the CRPF has not commented on the alleged Instagram post or the criticism directed at Sehrawat.
