Supreme Court forms panel to probe police force used on Delhi youth protest

During a July 20 demonstration in New Delhi, youth activists tried to march to the Parliament building to call for the resignation of the education minister. Police responded with tear gas, lathis and pellet-gun fire, resulting in dozens of injuries among the demonstrators. Nearly a month afterward, the Supreme Court directed the formation of a high-powered committee to investigate the alleged police brutality.

In a recent episode of a discussion series on the state of the republic, author and activist Harsh Mander interviewed former Indian Police Service officer Vibhuti Narain Rai and former Indian Administrative Service officer Aditi Ghosh Mehta. Rai expressed concern that the police force is using violent tactics without facing consequences, and Mehta noted that officials' body language hinted at an anti-minority stance. Mander argued that the government must be reminded that peaceful protest is a democratic right that should not be stifled.