Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met students and young protesters who alleged police brutality during the ongoing protests against vote theft in Delhi.He also warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah that no one could stand against the united voice of India.Accusing the government of trying to suppress young people who are protesting against alleged electoral malpractice, Rahul, while addressing a press conference along with the youth, said the movement had brought Indians together beyond divisions of religion, caste and gender.He vowed to ensure that those responsible for the alleged police excesses — from senior officials to policemen accused of assaulting protesters — were brought to justice. “These young people have only one voice, and that is the voice of India. No one can stand against it,” he said.Pointing to the students standing alongside him, Rahul said there was no Hindu, Muslim or caste identity in their collective struggle, nor any division between men and women. There was only one voice and one movement — the voice of India, he added.Issuing a stern warning to the government, Rahul urged protesters to record every incident of alleged police brutality and preserve all evidence, including videos. “When this movement ends, these pieces of evidence will be used to ensure that everyone responsible is punished,” he said, adding that no one would be spared.Besides the police personnel accused of assaulting students, Rahul named PM Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar among people who must face accountability.The students who met Rahul also recounted disturbing accounts of their alleged treatment in police custody. Three of the students Samarth, Dharmendra and Arjun alleged that the police personnel kicked and assaulted them on the chest, back and private parts and tried to choke them. They said their phones were confiscated after they were taken into custody.Delhi University student Adira said she had sustained injuries to her ear and lost her hearing following the alleged police assault. She claimed there was no woman police officer in the detention bus and alleged that she was dragged along the road, taken to a basement and beaten with kicks and punches. She also alleged blows to her cheek, upper abdomen and private parts.National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) national secretary Ritu Barala described the alleged police conduct as inhuman, saying citizens of Independent India were being subjected to brutality reminiscent of British rule.She said Rahul was standing by the students like an elder brother and asserted that they would not be intimidated into abandoning their fight against injustice.Content creator Ramit Verma alleged that he was detained on October 11 at the behest of members of the RSS and Bajrang Dal, whom he accused of threatening peaceful protesters with sticks and stones. He further alleged that phones were seized from several protesters inside detention buses, data was deleted from some devices and many phones were not returned.Meanwhile, one of the injured students, Samarth, played Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite hymn, ‘Vaishnava Jana To’, on a flute. “Nafrat ka jawab pyar se diya jaega” (hatred will be answered with love), the student said.


