Delhi Police Action Raises Alarms Over Democracy and Civil Liberties

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By TRH Op-Ed Desk

The Saturday events in the national capital have triggered concerns over police conduct, civil liberties and the state of democratic freedoms.

New Delhi, October 11, 2026 — Eight days after India commemorated birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the police versus people plot unraveled in Delhi on Saturday. The police detained almost 4,000 protestors, commoners, and journalists. Male police men were seen pulling women protestors by hair. Women journalists were pushed around. With the police watching, street urchins assaulted protestors, and, in one case, clothes of a woman protestor were torn.

On Saturday evening, DG of the CRPF JP Singh sent a message to his personnel, saying: “well done, and be ready for the next day.” The screenshot was widely shared on the internet.

Border Security Force (BSF) personnel manned the Jantar Mantar area with automatic rifles and heavy weapons.

Protestors accused that the police personnel not only assaulted them in buses but excessively abused. Independent journalists were particularly targeted.

Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was detained at the Mandir Marg police station in New Delhi. Even his age failed to bring moderation on Delhi Police.

The saving grace of the day came from Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheeshan who deputed the state chief secretary and resident commissioner to coordinate with Delhi Police for the release of Vijayan.

One man was thrust into a police van even while he showed a doctor’s prescription, showing that he was on his way for the treatment of his nephew whose kidneys had failed.

Political Editor of Scroll Shoib Daniel was taken into detention while he waited for his cab to arrive. One woman faced the police ire while she was simply standing on the road. One senior Supreme Court lawyer too was pushed into a police van in similar conditions.

Cases of the police excesses are aplenty. The ruling dispensation sought to spin the narrative to a foreign play in orchestrating anarchy. The Bharatiya Janata Party for past one decade has feasted in George Soros to label opposition. Thus, the BJP leaders tried what they have been doing for many years: hype the conspiracy theory.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2015 post on X in which he had sadly remembered the excesses of the Emergency was dug out. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor posted on X: “Thanks for teaching today’s youngsters many of the same lessons, Modiji!”

As Delhi went into the embrace of the long night, the Saturday event with no shred of doubts revealed the monstrous face of a police state. When the police begin abusing and assaulting the people, one must read the loud message — democracy has derailed.