Amnesty International: Indian Police Used Excessive Force Against Youth Protests Over Exam Leak

Central Message

(CNA, New Delhi, 23rd - International News Compilation) Thousands of Indian youth took to the streets on July 20 to protest the leak of questions from a national medical school entrance examination. Amnesty International has stated that Indian police used excessive force in response, violating international standards and domestic policing guidelines.

According to AFP, the demonstration, triggered by the leak of medical school exam questions, turned violent as thousands of protesters marched toward Parliament. Authorities claim they only resorted to force afterward, but Amnesty International's investigative report contradicts the police narrative.

Prior to the release of this report, India's Supreme Court established a special panel on July 20 to investigate violent actions by both police and protesters. The large-scale protests ultimately forced the resignation of the Education Minister.

Amnesty International stated that witness testimonies and video evidence show police in Delhi and Siwan district of eastern Bihar state used 'shotguns firing rubber bullets, tear gas launchers, grenades, batons, and electric shock devices' against protesters.

The organization also confirmed two verified incidents of 'police illegally using lethal force against crowds.' 'The manner in which these weapons were deployed violates international law and standards, as well as domestic policing guidelines,' the report stated, although no fatalities were reported.

While Amnesty acknowledged 'isolated instances of protesters throwing stones,' it emphasized that 'this disproportionate response constitutes state-backed violence under the pretext of crowd control.'

Delhi police told a Supreme Court hearing last week that 'anti-social elements disguised as victimized students' caused 'serious injuries' to security forces, and that they only used force after protesters 'resorted to violence.'

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi held a sit-in outside a Delhi police station on July 21 with a 19-year-old protester who claimed to have been injured by a plastic bullet during the July 20 demonstration.

Gandhi demanded an investigation, after which police registered the shooting incident. The protest, led by the online group 'Cockroach Janta Party,' began as anger over exam fraud but has since expanded into a broader movement addressing unemployment, youth opportunity, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's increasingly authoritarian governance.

Since winning his third term in 2024, Modi faces his biggest political challenge yet. (Translation: Hsu Hsiang-Ping) 1150824

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