Lathicharge: NHRC seeks reports from police

New Delhi, May 16: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today sought within two weeks factual reports from Delhi and Mumbai Police Commissioners on police action on students agitating against the proposed OBC quota in the two metropolitan cities.

The Commission said it had taken a note of disturbing news reports about the unprovoked lathicharge by police on medical and engineering students who were peacefully protesting against the proposed increase of 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in higher educational institutions.

''If allegations are true they raise a serious issue of violation of human rights. No civilised state can justify use of brutal force on peaceful demonstrators,''it observed.

The Commission has directed that copies of the news reports be forwarded to the two police Commissioners.

The Commission also took note of the strike by resident doctors of government hospitals and the 'medical bandh', called by the Indian Medical Association, which paralysed medical services in Delhi.

It appealed to striking doctors to resume their duties in the interest of poor, sick and ailing patients.

''The right to proper and timely medical intervention and treatment is an essential feature of right to health care,'' it added.

On Friday medical students in Mumbai braved police batons while protesting against increase in OBC quota.

The peaceful protest turned unruly when the police used force to break open students' cordon obstructing traffic. A few girl medicos suffered injuries during the melee.

Hundreds of medical students in Delhi clashed with the police on Friday as they tried to march towards the Prime Minister's North Block office in protest against the Government proposal.

The students say the reservation move is anti-merit and would push back India's development.

UNI

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