New Delhi | Family members of four Delhi Police personnel injured during the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' march called on Parliament to address the injuries suffered by the cops and the trauma endured by their families, saying public discourse focused largely on allegations of police excesses while ignoring "their side" of the violence.
Addressing a press conference at the Constitution Club of India on Friday, the wife of an ACP, the wife of an ASI, and the children of two injured officers recounted anxious hours spent waiting for calls from hospitals, seeing blood-soaked uniforms, and watching social media posts that, they alleged, portrayed only one version of the events.
Among the most emotional accounts was that of Kunjal, a Delhi University student whose father, a sub-inspector, was injured during the clashes. She said her father had served for 15 years as a Marine Commando in the Indian Navy before joining the police and was deployed on the front line near the barricades at Jantar Mantar.
"My father was present at the main protest site. He was on the front line near the barricades where there was a huge crowd. Whenever he returned home after duty, he would tell us that the protest no longer seemed like a student protest and that many anti-social elements had become involved," she said.
She alleged that on July 25, her father was dragged by a mob near the stage at Jantar Mantar and was "almost lynched."
"He remained unconscious at RML Hospital for about four hours. Around 10 pm, his colleagues brought him home. His uniform was completely stained with blood. It was extremely painful for us to see him in that condition," she said.
Kunjal said what followed was equally distressing. "When I opened social media, my father had already been declared a criminal. The next day I learnt that the people who had attacked him were approaching the Supreme Court and filing complaints against police personnel. I felt I should also seek justice for my father. We too have equal rights as citizens, and we hope justice will be done," she said, adding that police families had approached lawyers to present their concerns before the top court.
Behind her, a slideshow displayed photographs of bleeding police personnel alongside figures that, the families claimed, reflected the scale of the violence.
The presentation claimed that over 250 police personnel were injured in the violence, while over 110 barricades, 300 body protectors, 350 helmets, 20 loudhailers, 10 hand-held metal detectors and one X-ray baggage scanner were damaged, with more than 25 government vehicles and private property vandalised.
Another student, Lakshya Singh, son of an injured ACP, said his family has a long history of public service, adding that his father is a recipient of four gallantry awards while his grandfather fought in the 1971 war as part of the Border Security Force (BSF).
He said he learnt on July 25 that his father had suffered a serious head injury while on duty. "When I first saw him, his head had been shaved, and there were stitches. I was frightened," he said.
According to Lakshya, his father later told the family that while many students had gathered for the protest, some individuals used the occasion to create chaos.
"He was briefing his colleagues and trying to safeguard senior officers when stone-pelting suddenly started. A stone hit his head," he said.
Lakshya said he was frustrated that online discussions and even debates in Parliament focused only on allegations against the police.
"Whenever I go online, my friends send me reels where only the police are portrayed negatively. My father tells me not to pay attention, but it is frustrating that nobody is talking about the injured police personnel or their families," he said.
Seema, whose husband has served in Delhi Police for 33 years after joining as a constable and now serves as an assistant sub-inspector, said that July 20 began like any other working day.
"He left home early in the morning carrying his tiffin. Around 11 am, he called and said there was a huge crowd at Jantar Mantar and protesters were preparing to march towards Parliament. As a police officer's wife, I only told him to take care," she said.
The next call came hours later from LNJP Hospital. "He told me some anti-social elements in the crowd attacked policemen with stones, flower pots, slippers and shoes. Soon after that, his phone battery died. I was terrified. He didn't return home until around 11 pm," she said.
Seema said her husband's protective helmet had been shattered during the violence.
"Had another stone struck his head after the helmet broke, he might not have survived. My soul trembled when I saw him. Since July 20, only one narrative has been discussed -- that police brutally assaulted students. That is only one side. I appeal to Parliament to also discuss what happened to police personnel and their families," she said.
The Gen Z-led protest witnessed clashes at several locations across central Delhi, including Parliament Street, Connaught Place and Jantar Mantar, where protesters and security personnel clashed.
Upneet Kaur, wife of an ACP, described the night her husband returned home injured as "traumatic" for both her and their two-year-old daughter.
She claimed police personnel repeatedly appealed to protesters to remain peaceful before bottles, stones, slippers and other objects were hurled at them.
"Behind every uniform is not only a police officer. There is also a wife, children, parents and an entire family. We want people to understand that. We are here to share our own experience of what our families went through," she said.
Throughout the press conference, the families maintained that they were not blaming students as a whole but alleged that anti-social elements had infiltrated the gathering and triggered the violence.
