 Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 8: A young man from Srinagar, Kashmir, who identified himself as a supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was allegedly dragged, slapped and punched by a group of Congress protesters at Connaught Place in New Delhi on Thursday amid ongoing opposition demonstrations against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The youth, identified as Faheem Nazir, said he had gone to the area where Congress leaders and opposition MPs had gathered. He claimed he raised slogans in support of PM Modi and was then set upon by the crowd. Video footage circulating online shows him being surrounded, pushed, dragged and repeatedly struck.
Nazir told media he is not affiliated with any political party and supports the Prime Minister. He denied abusing Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, an allegation made by some protesters, and said he was beaten for expressing pro-Modi views and questioning the opposition’s stance on electronic voting machines. He also spoke of not wanting the country to follow the path of Nepal or Bangladesh.
He later filed a complaint at Connaught Place police station. Police are conducting a medical examination and examining the complaint; an FIR is expected after preliminary proceedings. The claims have not been independently verified by all outlets.
The incident occurred as Congress and other opposition parties continued protests in the national capital over alleged discrepancies in the SIR exercise and demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. BJP leaders condemned the alleged assault, accusing Congress workers of intolerance.
Police are investigating the matter. |
