India's 'cockroach' leaders vow to keep up election protests • FRANCE 24 English

But the biggest question here is: Who started the violence?<br>When these young people had come to protest peacefully, when they had appealed to put forward their views through non-violent means, and when they had even assured the judge that their protest would remain peaceful, then why was such a large police force deployed?<br>Why was there such a massive deployment of Delhi Police? Why was it necessary to call in so many police personnel? If the administration already knew that the protest was going to be peaceful, then why such strict measures?<br>And if the police themselves resorted to a lathi charge against young protesters, used force against girls, did not spare even the elderly, and detained members of opposition parties, then who will be held accountable for these incidents?<br>If videos appear to show the police using force, then why shouldn&#39;t there be an impartial investigation into these incidents?<br>When the police themselves use a lathi charge against protesters, how can the protesters alone be held responsible for the violence?<br>If the protesters were engaging in violence, then present the evidence. But if the police also used force, that too must be investigated. The law does not apply only to ordinary citizens; the police and the government are also bound by the law.<br>And look at the biggest irony of all. If protesters are subjected to restrictions preventing them from protesting for an entire year, it is only natural to ask: What is the legal basis for such a restriction?<br>Peaceful protest is a democratic right of citizens. The justification, necessity, and legality of any restriction must be made clear.<br>We must not allow a situation where the guilty turn around and blame those seeking accountability. If violence occurred during the protest, there must be an impartial investigation to establish who initiated it, what role the police played, and what steps the administration took to bring the situation under control.<br>If the protesters violated the law, action should be taken in accordance with the law. But if the police used unnecessary force, they too must be held accountable. In a democracy, no one should be allowed to act arbitrarily.<br>And here is a direct question to the government: If peaceful protest becomes difficult, where will ordinary citizens go to raise their concerns and express their disagreement?