- 2 weeks ago
In this edition of News Track, India Today accesses exclusive CCTV visuals from five locations showing how thousands of protesters during the July 20 Sansad Chalo march bypassed multiple barricades and reached within 50 metres of the Parliament perimeter wall. The security grid faced a major scare as crowds advanced near Central Secretariat Metro station and outer gates before security personnel dispersed them. Meanwhile, the pellet gun debate reached the Supreme Court, which observed that security forces may use pellet guns only in exceptional circumstances. The top court directed the Centre to preserve the Rapid Action Force (RAF) ammunition log from Jantar Mantar and mandated the Delhi government to provide medical care to injured petitioners. While Delhi Police maintained pellet guns were not used, internal reports revealed RAF fired plastic pellets during the student protest, leaving individuals like 19-year-old Sahil Lochan and 25-year-old artist Prashant Kumar Singh injured. On the show, former IB Special Director Yashvardhan Azad advocated a total ban on pellet guns due to their indiscriminate spray, while former J&K DGP S.P. Vaid argued they remain a necessary last resort compared to lethal force.
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00:00Good evening, you're watching NewsTrack with me, Maria Shakil.
00:03For days, the focus has been on the clash between protesters and Delhi police
00:07during the July 20th, Sansa Chalo Mart.
00:10But tonight, India Today brings you exclusive evidence that raises fresh questions.
00:15We have accessed CCTV footage from five locations around the parliament complex.
00:19The visuals show how thousands of protesters advanced from multiple directions
00:24and they reached the parliament perimeter and triggered a major security scare.
00:28At one point, they were just 50 metres away.
00:32Meanwhile, the pellet gun draw reached the Supreme Court.
00:35The top court, in fact, observed that pellet guns may be used by security forces
00:39only and only in exceptional circumstances.
00:43The question is, what happened in Delhi? Was it really exceptional?
00:46It has also directed the centre to preserve the ammunition log of RAF personnel
00:52deployed at Jantar Mantar and had asked the Delhi government to ensure medical treatment
00:57for the injured petitioners and others similarly affected.
01:01So the big question on the show tonight is, how did the crowd get so close to parliament?
01:07Was the security grid overwhelmed?
01:10And when the barricades gave way, why was pellet guns used?
01:17There cannot be any justification for the use of pellet guns on protesting students.
01:23Remember, this was a student protest.
01:26So multiple questions, which is certainly directed towards the Delhi police.
01:32First up the story and then I bring in the guests.
01:43They were just metres away from parliament.
01:47A few more steps and the security situation could have turned into a major crisis.
01:57Exclusive CCD visuals accessed by India Today reveal how thousands of protesters managed to reach
02:02dangerously close to the parliament complex on the 20th of July.
02:07Five videos, multiple entry points.
02:10At one location, hundreds are seen reaching the final security cordon outside a parliament gate
02:15with the building visible in the background as Delhi police and RAF personnel form a human wall
02:21to stop them.
02:25Another CCTV near the central secretariat metro station captures the scale of mobilisation.
02:33From another approach road, large groups of protesters are seen pushing forward
02:37as police try to hold barricades and contain the crowd.
02:42By around 2pm, another camera captures protesters gathered along the outer perimeter wall of parliament.
02:50Minutes later, as tensions escalate, security personal move in and disperse the crowd,
02:55clearing the stretch outside the parliament perimeter.
03:00Minutes later, the protesters are still on the route of the border.
03:09Minutes later, the protesters get aggravated around the area.
03:11Now, the police are still on the border.
03:14My friends, the police are still on the border.
03:15In the way that they are allowed to be arrested.
03:16Until now, the police are getting carried out of the border.
03:19In between, the police are still on the border.
03:20Not at 2pm, the police are still on the border.
03:22But it seems to be called, the police's ╨╜╨╕╤З╨╡╨│╨╛ on the border.
03:26The police are on the border, which are in Washington and in Spain.
03:28India Today's reconstruction shows that at one point,
03:30protesters had reached within approximately 50 metres of the parliament complex.
03:36These were the scenes outside one of the most heavily guarded locations in the capital.
03:43Amid the security questions, a Delhi police probe document accessed by India Today reveals
03:48that facial recognition system vans scanned the crowd and helped identify
03:522,873 suspected criminals by matching faces with police records.
03:59The system flagged people linked to serious crimes, including murder, rape and robbery.
04:06Meanwhile, the political battle over alleged pellet gun use continues.
04:35This is the man, take a good look at him.
04:38This is the man who is responsible for what happened to you.
04:42Of course, he takes his orders from the prime minister, but this is the man who beat you,
04:46who thrashed you, who humiliated you, who shot you with pellet guns.
05:18If someone says that the man who drank
05:22Amid the pellet trough, CIPF Chief Gyanindra Pratap Singh has backed his personal.
05:41On the other hand, the Supreme Court has observed that police are empowered to use pellet guns
05:49in exceptional situations while directing the centre to preserve the ammunition log
05:54of the Rapid Action Force deployed at Jantar Mantar.
05:58The top court also indicated that the focus should be on framing a protocol for the use
06:03rather than an outright ban.
06:07The Delhi Police has maintained that pellet guns were not used during the protest,
06:11but a general diary entry and internal probes have revealed that the Rapid Action Force
06:15fired plastic pellet rounds during the students' protest,
06:18contradicting initial claims by the Delhi Police.
06:22Several protestors, moreover, have claimed pellet injuries.
06:27One of them, 19-year-old Sahil Lochaab, suffered serious eye injuries
06:31and faces the possibility of losing vision in one eye.
06:36The questions now go beyond the protest.
06:38How did thousands reach within 50 metres of Parliament despite prohibitory orders?
06:43Was the security system overwhelmed or was the threat underestimated?
06:47And if the crowd reached the Parliament perimeter,
06:50was the use of pellet guns the only option left?
06:53Or was it a failure of preparedness before the confrontation began?
06:57With Arvind Oja, Bureau Report, India Today.
07:06We have a former Special Director of Intelligence,
07:10who in fact filed that petition,
07:12Yashwarda Nazad joining me on the show tonight.
07:14S.P. Vaidh is a former DGP of Jamin Kashmir.
07:18I'm going to begin with you, Yashwarda Nazad.
07:20The bench today did not seem inclined towards a blanket ban.
07:27In fact, Justice Bakhti said that pellet guns are already permitted
07:31in exceptional circumstances.
07:33As a former IB Special Director yourself,
07:36do you accept that framework?
07:38Or do you still believe no circumstance justifies pellets on a civilian crowd?
07:44Absolutely.
07:45I have asked for a permanent ban on the use of these metallic shrapnels,
07:54what we call the charras,
07:55and that is the ban on the usage of pellet guns per se.
07:59I think the Supreme Court first asked
08:03that which is the provision of the SOP you're against with.
08:07And my lawyer said,
08:08OK, we don't know what SOP MHA has prepared in 2016 because we don't have the details.
08:15And even today, the BBRD website for the SOP was not opening,
08:22so there was no clarity on that point.
08:25My point is technical.
08:27My point is that a policeman can control the trigger of that gun,
08:34but he cannot control the target.
08:38It goes in a cloud spray.
08:40It is like a metallic shower when you fire a cartridge.
08:44And it can hurt anyone.
08:46If I'm aiming straight, it can go to some other person,
08:50hit him in the eye or some vital organs.
08:52The multi-projectile system is not used anywhere in a developed democracy.
08:59Yes, it is used in Yemen, Bahrain, or perhaps Iran only recently.
09:05And therefore, I'm saying for constitutional and policing in a democracy,
09:12this should not be used.
09:13Even if we fire, we fire below the waist,
09:17and we know where the fire is going.
09:19In the case of this, in the case of firing the pellet gun,
09:24we don't know.
09:25It has an area effect.
09:27That is why it should be banned.
09:30Now, Supreme Court said it cannot be banned.
09:34Blanket ban.
09:34Because it is in the SOP.
09:36Yes.
09:36There cannot be any blanket ban.
09:38Yes, sir.
09:38I don't know whether, Supreme Court,
09:41I am talking about the ban in principle.
09:44Okay.
09:45I don't think the court can announce on the very first day.
09:48They have asked, for example, one point, last point.
09:50They have asked for all the SOPs, because we said we don't have them.
09:55So, they said that all the SOPs should be given to them.
09:58All the standing orders should be given to them.
10:01Number two, all the RAF logs should be given to them.
10:05And third, free medical treatment should be given.
10:07Yes.
10:08I will be joined by, in fact, the petitioner in the case as well.
10:11Along with Yashwarda Nazar, there are two victims of the pellet guns.
10:15Prashant will be joining me shortly.
10:17But, SP Vaidh, because I want to understand this SOP also.
10:22From your operational experience, what actually qualifies as exceptional?
10:27And did Connaught place on July 20th meet that bar?
10:35Good evening, Maya and Jashwarda Nazar, sir.
10:42Good evening to your viewers, also.
10:45See, what the Honourable Supreme Court said as a last resort this could be used,
10:55when situation is going out of control.
10:59We have, in fact, faced such situation in Jammu and Kashmir in 2009-10,
11:08and also post Burhan Bani 2016-17, where a pellet gun was used.
11:15What Sir was saying, it is absolutely correct that when you fire it,
11:21it actually goes in a wider area.
11:26That's why it is very, very important that it should avoid vital organs like face, eyes.
11:34That is, because if it hits the eye, one can have a permanent damage of the eye.
11:40But I still hold that it is a much better option than using direct fire a bullet,
11:48because that can kill a man, and a pellet injures you.
11:54But your life, you will recover in a month or two, but your life is still saved.
12:00But S.P. Vaidh, you are using against protesters in Delhi.
12:04It's not Jammu and Kashmir.
12:06Fine, fine.
12:07This is not Sri Nagar.
12:08Even in Delhi, instead of using bullets, when such a situation arises,
12:14as a last resort, as the honorable Supreme Court said,
12:17if somebody is being lynched, what you saw in the videos,
12:23RAF constable was being almost lynched.
12:26So, in that situation, if his colleague has to rescue him or her, how does he react?
12:33So, if he has, as a last resort, to open fire, I would say it is still better option than
12:40killing him by the fire.
12:42Okay, so let me bring in Yashvardhan Azad now.
12:44Yashvardhan Azad, earlier today, there was a footage which came in of the crowd moving closer to parliament before the
12:52firing.
12:53Does that, in fact, complicate your case that this was an unprovoked attack on a retreating peaceful assembly?
12:59No, no, no.
13:00Let me clarify a few things, you know.
13:02Let me clarify a few things.
13:03Pellet guns were used in a delicate situation in 2010 and then in 2016.
13:10Mr. Wade is an outstanding professional, and he knows what was the situation.
13:16It was a very sensitive situation.
13:19And the police used it because there was stone-throwing from all sides.
13:23They could not go near enough, dangerously close for a latte charge.
13:28The weather conditions were there, that the tear smoke was drifting away.
13:32And that was the time when pellet gun was thought to be the resort.
13:36Now, in 2016, also after Burhan Vani, it was used.
13:40But the UN Human Rights Watch and our estimate also said that there were 6,222 injuries.
13:48Now, some of these injuries were to the eye and were dangerous.
13:52Some of them were permanently damaged.
13:54Now, there was an expert committee which sort of looked into it and they said,
14:01So, other non-lethal weapons were, you know, explored.
14:07In fact, Mr. Rajnath Singh even gave permission to buy some non-lethal ones.
14:12I don't know what happened.
14:13Now, in 2016, MHA prepared an SOP saying ki nahi, pellet guns can be used.
14:19It can be used as a second-last resort.
14:22And we have given three-day training.
14:24And in 2018, in Parliament, the minister agreed that it has not been banned, but MHA has prepared an SOP
14:32and it can be used.
14:33Now, the question is, there are two different things we are arguing.
14:37Whether the conditions were ripe enough in Delhi that this was used is a point of judicial inquiry.
14:46I don't disagree with that.
14:48I mean, I'm saying when a person is getting lynched, he has full right to fire straight bullet on the
14:55leg or anywhere.
14:56I'm saying in principle, because we had technically in nine years after 2016, we have not been able to solve
15:05this issue.
15:06Yes, Vaidh will also know there is a choking of barrel which can be used to sort of, you know,
15:12direct the attack.
15:14But as principle, nothing has been done so far.
15:18And therefore, all the expert committee, technical advancement has not led us to any improvement on the damage caused by
15:26the A.
15:26That per se is the issue.
15:28And that is why I'm saying it should be banked.
15:31So, you are of the opinion.
15:32Then, S.P. Vaidh, will you also not agree that this is a subject of judicial inquiry now?
15:37Because RAF's own IG has since barred pellet guns and admitted excessive force.
15:43As someone who has commanded such forces, does an internal admission like that already settle the question before the court
15:49even rules?
15:51Yes, exactly.
15:53S.P. Vaidh.
15:54Yes, sir.
15:55S.P. Vaidh, I completely agree with Yashwad Dhanji, sir.
16:02S.P.
16:03On this point, but there are alternatives also, like rubber bullets could be used.
16:10Yes.
16:11If they are issued, alternatives, there could be other alternatives.
16:14Let the judicial commission find out actually what happened there.
16:22But what I am getting from the media, because I am not in Delhi, I am watching it on the
16:27screen only.
16:28If they had reached this crowd, which had some of them criminals, you were seeing Delhi police record, about 900
16:39of them having passed criminal record, such a crowd which had no permission to march towards the parliament.
16:45And they were almost 50 yards or whatever particular figure of distance they were near the parliament.
16:54Imagine, imagine if something like what happened, we saw in Washington DC, when Donald president, Donald Trump was leading or
17:10addressing those people.
17:12They entered the, what do you call the parliament.
17:18S.P. Vaidh and Yashwarda Nazar, thank you so much, because we have Prashant now joining us.
17:25Prashant Kumar Singh is 25 year old.
17:29He is an artist and he is petitioner number 2 in this PIL which has been filed along with Yashwarda
17:35Nazar.
17:36And this is of course, he is one of those who was hit by pellets that were fired by RAF
17:44during the Sansat Chalo march.
17:46Prashant, tell me, what was the time you were doing?
17:54What was the time you were doing?
17:55Was there any first announcement or announcement?
17:59Was there any announcement?
18:01Was there any announcement?
18:03Was there any announcement?
18:13It was also a response that it took me to push the phone.
18:16And the police challenged us and said that,
18:17there was some tension in front of protesters.
18:21Then the police started the attack and they tried to release the attack.
18:24They were very brutally charged.
18:27And then they started the attack and have pushed us on the
18:32CP on that.
18:33And they had not given any warning,
18:35that they have been the attack or the attack,
18:40They are shooting with a gun or they are shooting with a gun.
18:46So, they didn't do anything for this.
18:49So, they didn't do anything before.
18:53So, they didn't do anything before.
18:57Tell us about your treatment.
19:00How was your recovery going?
19:02Which hospital was taken to you for 20 years?
19:10I was shocked, but I was conscious.
19:13Shocked by the pressure of Tokio's.
19:16It was very fast.
19:17There were tears in my hand.
19:20I was back and the bleeding started.
19:23But I was conscious there and I called my friend.
19:27And he came there and then we went to the hospital.
19:31The lady hurting hospital.
19:33And all of my check-ups were there.
19:37And I was discharged by a knife.
19:40So, they treated me on the surface level.
19:42They were removed and removed.
19:47After that, they discharged me.
19:50Further, they didn't give me any information.
19:51I didn't know that my pellet is inside my body.
19:55They showed me some x-rays and stuff.
20:00And many people told me that it will be fine.
20:03But I found out that the material it was inside me.
20:08It's inside my body.
20:11Which was a nice eye to me.
20:16So, yeah, that was the thing that I went there, hospital lady hurting.
20:21After that, I did another hospital, that is, what do you say that?
20:29A holy family, the hospital.
20:33Prashant, the court has directed the Delhi government to ensure your medical treatment.
20:38Has that translated into anything concrete yet?
20:44Not concrete yet.
20:48That...
20:49She was saying that the government has taken this medical treatment,
20:55but now she said that it will be a final thing.
20:59So, I am going to a holy family.
21:03After that, I think that the government will reverse or pay it.
21:10This bench where your PIL filed was, that seemed to lean towards a protocol for use rather than an outright
21:19ban.
21:19As someone who was hit and still has those wounds, does that middle path feel adequate to you or does
21:30it fall short of what you were seeking?
21:35PAN, like protocol in the protocol, they might can use and they have the chances to be used.
21:42And they are working for the people, and they are working for the people, who have the students who are
21:49seeking their rights, who are seeking their rights, and who are seeking their rights.
21:54So, I don't think so, but if you are comparing them to someone else, that...
22:01that protester also have the gun and other thing,
22:04then you can use it, of course,
22:06but not in a protest which is happening in a very serious,
22:10very peaceful protest.
22:12If we have a peaceful protest,
22:17if you have this thing, I don't think so.
22:19It should be been in this protest thing,
22:21where there are so little children and adults.
22:24So that I think that shouldn't be just rest upon a protocol,
22:28but they should take it as a ban for the all peaceful protest.
22:34The government says, Prashant,
22:37that this has been done for the bheer to enthrate the bheer.
22:41What do you say about that?
22:45I can do it from other ways.
22:49They have already charged the bheer to enthrate the bheer.
22:52I was at that moment.
22:55I was standing there and they were all here and there.
22:59So I think that if you have to play a bheer to enthrate the bheer,
23:05then I don't think so.
23:06I mean, we are showing as a nation.
23:10It should be we are showing as a terrorist,
23:13if you feel like this.
23:16So I don't think so.
23:17I mean, I mean, if you have to play a bheer to enthrate the bheer,
23:20you have to play a bheer to enthrate the bheer.
23:45And which is in our favor, which is our right.
23:48So I will go.
23:51Prashant, really appreciate your time.
23:53Thank you for joining us.
23:54So this is the generation which feels that protest is a right and rightly so,
24:00that because protest, right to peaceful protest has been guaranteed by the Constitution of India.
24:06Let's not forget.
24:07That's all from me on this edition.
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