AMIT SHAH’S absence from the Lok Sabha during the entire Monsoon Session was quite bizarre. Even after being present in the Parliament premises, he was consciously but quite obviously staying away from the House. The grotesque attacks on the protesting students and youth at Jantar Mantar during their march to the Parliament, provoked widespread revulsion. In turn, the joint Opposition’s pointed demand for the Home Minister’s specific explanation, put him in a tight spot.

Independent citizen journalists and YouTubers had covered the vicious ruthlessness of the Delhi Police personnel, as well as, the Rapid Action Force. The use of spiked batons and pellet guns, injuring almost a dozen activists, was established with concrete medical evidence. This was despite the strong initial denial by the Delhi Police and the Home Ministry. They could not muster any proof that the agitation was anything but peaceful. The use of lathis to target private parts of women protesters was another outrageous dimension of the police response.

During the confrontation, it was also evident that many uniformed security personnel were without nametags, betraying the clandestine element while indulging in these unacceptable and illegal methods. Many of the actions of the police were against specific directions by the Supreme Court. The fact remains that despite all these repressive measures, the tide of protest could neither be reversed nor contained. In fact, the Jantar Mantar sequel triggered widespread chain reaction and massive protest actions took place across the country. These actions forced the government to accept the resignation of the then Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. Obviously, this has emboldened the Opposition to force accountability of the government. This is where Amit Shah’s role came in specifically. The Opposition was not prepared to allow him to indulge in avoiding his concrete responsibility, as in the case of Pahalgam. The demand was very firm that not a broad, wishy-washy explanation, but a pointed specific response on who perpetrated the Delhi Police violence, was required. It was absolutely crystal clear as to where the accountability lay. No evasive passing the buck was possible. Hence, Amit Shah did what he did.

What the Union government has not realised is that meanwhile there is a change in the context and mood. Fear has melted and collective courage is on unambiguous display. While the government cannot betray its sense of desperation, it is left with no other course but to talk of what Modi has referred to as homeopathic medicine, and ‘dimagi naxals’ shows that this is an open and shut case for complicity with indulging in violence. Modi’s Independence Day speech referred to the creation of a new civil volunteer force. Will it be like the Hitler’s SS is anybody’s guess!

But, the government’s and particularly Amit Shah’s obnoxious playbook, had more ruthless elements to be further exposed. In Swatantra Bhardwaj’s self- confessional podcast, he attempted to reinforce his insolence and indestructible ‘Hindu vir image’. It was clear that he had inflicted a murderous assault on Nishu Azad’s father. The teenage girl is a Dalit CJP activist who puts out stories on Instagram exposing the unacceptable functioning of the Hindutva project. Swatantra claimed on camera that he had forced 60 stitches on the man who was about to die. Then in his own cavalier fashion, he pointed out that Section 307 of the BNS which implies attempt to murder, ought to have been slapped. But then, he laughed over the fact that he was not even taken to custody. Swatantra was emphatic that this was possible because of the blessings of BJP’s infamous minister, Kapil Misra, and his other contacts in the higher echelons of the Delhi BJP. He did not mince words. He elucidated that his objective was to create a ‘Muslim Mukt’ Bharat. That Dalits are not untouchable for his criminal reprisal is on evidence. Amit Shah and Narendra Modi cannot deny that this ‘Dimagi Hindutva fascist’ happens to be their preferred specimen to take on ‘Dimagi naxals’ – who so ever is opposed to Hindutva and the BJP-RSS combine. That such a narrative is completely beyond the Indian Constitution and the rule of law, is a different proposition altogether.

 That under Amit Shah’s charge, Delhi Police has been completely criminalised and weaponised is evident. Swatantra and his ilk received Delhi Police’s boots and lathis to carry out the specific assignments as they did during the Jantar Mantar protest. In fact, another media report gives further credence to this course of development. Some 300-350 hardened criminals who were supposed to be in jail were caught by Delhi Police’s own surveillance cameras on 20th July! This could not have been possible without the police themselves facilitating their temporary release from confinement and unleashing them on the protestors. These obnoxious developments dovetail the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, which was not completely obvious to the private recordings of the YouTubers and Instagram stories of the protestors.

Then, that is it! Fascistic methods were put in place by a uniformed Delhi Police, under the charge of the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, to strangle any Opposition and legitimate protest. This marks the remarkable downhill journey of not only constitutional processes and bodies, and the rule of law, but that of Hindutva itself. The moral high ground that Hindutva forces and RSS often attempt to assume, is as fake as it can be. Obviously, the strongman, Amit Shah, is reluctant to see his own face in the mirror.

(September 09, 2026)