Felt something hit my arm … blood dripped down to my fingers: Artist recalls moment pellets struck him during CJP protest
Source Entity
Tabshir Shams
The use of plastic pellets by the Rapid Action Force during a July 20 NEET protest in New Delhi has sparked controversy. Official police records confirm the firing of these projectiles, contradicting earlier police denials and leaving protesters like 25-year-old artist Prashant with lingering injuries.
The July 20 NEET Protest: A Disputed Narrative
The protest held on July 20 in New Delhi, organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in response to the NEET-UG paper leak, has become a focal point of intense scrutiny regarding law enforcement tactics. While students attempted a 'Sansad Chalo' march toward Parliament to express their grievances, the event devolved into a confrontation involving the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and riot police. The subsequent use of crowd-control measures, specifically the deployment of plastic pellets, has raised significant concerns about the proportionality of force used against demonstrators.
Contradictory Claims and Official Records
For several days following the incident, the discourse was marked by conflicting narratives. Delhi Police had initially characterized allegations regarding the use of pellet guns against protesters as 'completely false and misleading.' However, this stance was undermined by official records entered into the general diary of the Parliament Street police station on July 22. These documents, based on information provided by an RAF deputy commandant, confirm that the force fired two rounds of non-lethal plastic pellets alongside tear smoke grenades and other munitions.
The Human Cost: A Victim's Perspective
Beyond the administrative debates, the physical toll on protesters remains a stark reality. Prashant, a 25-year-old artist from Delhi, serves as a primary example of the impact of these munitions. Medical records from Lady Hardinge Hospital confirm that he sustained injuries to his chest, right upper limb, and the inguinal region. Despite surgical interventions to remove the projectiles, Prashant continues to live with pellets lodged deep within his tissue, a testament to the penetrative nature of the 'non-lethal' weapons employed during the crowd control effort.
Medical and Tactical Implications
Dr. Himani Ahluwalia, Director of Lady Hardinge Hospital, has highlighted the clinical challenges associated with such injuries. While surface-level pellets can be extracted using standard medical tools like forceps, those embedded deeper in the body pose significant risks and surgical complexities. The classification of these weapons as 'non-lethal' is increasingly being challenged by medical professionals and human rights advocates, who argue that even 'less-lethal' munitions can cause permanent bodily harm depending on the range and area of impact.
Broader Political Repercussions
The incident has ignited a wider political debate, with opposition figures like Priyanka Gandhi questioning the necessity of such aggressive tactics against student protesters. By framing the conflict as a battle over examination integrity, the protesters have garnered significant public sympathy, making the government's response—and the subsequent attempt to deny the use of specific crowd-control weaponry—a matter of significant public interest and potential political liability.
Future Trends in Crowd Management
The discrepancy between initial police denials and later admissions documented in official logs highlights a growing transparency gap in Indian law enforcement operations. As public protests regarding systemic issues like examination leaks continue to occur, the pressure on authorities to adopt more humane and strictly non-injurious crowd-control measures is likely to intensify. Future policy discussions will likely center on the ethical use of 'non-lethal' munitions and the need for greater accountability when such force results in civilian injury.
Multiple Citing Sources