- CPI(M) alleges Delhi Police tried to forcibly arrest SFI's Aishe Ghosh at party HQ
- Police visited AKG Bhavan over a 2021 protest case, but left after confrontation
- MP John Brittas challenged police, who lacked a written arrest warrant on site
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday alleged that Delhi Police "forcibly" entered its headquarters here in an attempt to arrest SFI joint secretary Aishe Ghosh in a 2021 Banga Bhawan protest case.
The Left party also shared a video on social media which shows Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas confronting police personnel, including one in plain clothes, at the AKG Bhavan.
CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby termed the incident an "illegal attempt" by Delhi Police to enter the party headquarters to arrest Ghosh and described it as "a dangerous assault on democratic norms".
"The police arrived in a private vehicle, with some personnel not even in uniform. When CPI(M) MP John Brittas and other comrades forcefully intervened and challenged them, they left without carrying out their illegal attempt," Baby said, alleging that Ghosh had been under surveillance for the past several days.
A senior Delhi Police officer, however, said, "An Investigating Officer (IO) had visited the location in connection with an old non-bailable warrant case pursuant to court orders. His visit was unrelated to the present matter." Speaking to PTI, Brittas said the police team reached AKG Bhavan around 4.30 pm and claimed there was a non-bailable warrant against Ghosh.
"When I asked them to show the warrant, they said it had only been communicated telephonically. The case is coming up on July 30," he said.
Brittas said the case pertained to a protest outside Banga Bhawan in 2021 and questioned the police action.
"It is not a big crime she has committed by staging a protest," he said.
He alleged that Ghosh had been "shadowed" by the police for the past few days and said one of the officers who entered the premises was not in uniform.
Calling it a "brazen intrusion into a political party office" and a "continuing witch hunt against student protesters", the CPI(M) said it "exposes the Modi government's escalating assault on democratic rights".
Brittas alleged that the action was similar to the police action against student protesters on July 20, when, according to him, plainclothes personnel assaulted demonstrators.
"Delhi Police and the Home Ministry are adamant that the faces of this agitation should be in jail. They are digging out old cases. We can't allow such high-handed measures," he told PTI.
The CPI(M) also slammed the government, saying, "Instead of addressing the legitimate concerns of students, the state is using police power to intimidate, silence and criminalise dissent." "The CPI(M) strongly condemns this unlawful action and stands firmly with the students fighting for justice, education, and democracy," it said.
In the video, Brittas is seen confronting police personnel.
"Who gave you the permission to barge in... How do you have the courage to come inside?" Brittas was heard saying in the video.
"I am straight away coming from Parliament... Delhi Police cannot behave in this manner..." he said.
According to the party, the police team later left after being confronted.
SFI was among the student outfits that joined the Jantar Mantar agitation over the alleged examination paper leak and demands for accountability in the examination system. The protests were led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
Ghosh, the SFI joint secretary and former JNUSU president, has been one of the prominent student leaders associated with the agitation.
She also approached the Delhi High Court alleging that Delhi Police used AI-based facial recognition and other surveillance technologies to identify and monitor protesters during the demonstrations.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
