Government Must Keep Vigilantes Out of Policing
During student protests at Jantar Mantar against NEET paper leaks and exam postponement, armed men in mufti appeared to attack protesters alongside police personnel, their identities undisclosed. The presence of these individuals—seemingly operating as an extension of the official force—and apparent agent provocateurs raised serious questions about state accountability.
Swatantra Bharadwaj, a self-proclaimed activist, claimed credit for violent acts against protesters and publicly named Delhi minister Kapil Mishra and Union minister Chirag Paswan as his political benefactors. Paswan denied links and filed a complaint against Bharadwaj for misusing his name. Police arrested Bharadwaj only after sustained student protests, prompting a separate FIR under the POCSO Act for alleged online harassment of a minor participant.
The delayed police response and the involvement of unidentified vigilantes underscore a critical concern: law and order cannot be outsourced to non-state actors. The government must ensure accountability and prevent such forces from infiltrating policing operations during lawful demonstrations.
