New Delhi, Oct 10 The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) on Saturday condemned the detention of several lawyers and the "excessive" use of force by police during a peaceful protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR exercise.
The bar association, in a resolution, also strongly disapproved of the alleged disproportionate use of force against the lawyers, including women advocates.
"Video footage that has surfaced depicts lawyers, including senior advocates, being physically dragged by the police.
"Such high-handed and undignified treatment of members of the legal fraternity is wholly reprehensible and constitutes a grave affront to their dignity and constitutional rights," the resolution, signed by DHCBA president and senior advocate N Hariharan and honorary secretary Vikram Singh Panwar, said.
Stressing the constitutional right to peaceful assembly and dissent, the DHCBA said the maintenance of public order cannot be used as a pretext for arbitrary detention or excessive force against peaceful protesters.
It also expressed concern over reported incidents of police personnel tearing the Preamble of the Constitution and stated that such an act strikes at the ideals and values upon which the republic is founded.
The bar association urged authorities to conduct an impartial inquiry into the incident, fix responsibility for the alleged unlawful and excessive use of force, and take appropriate action against those responsible.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had given the protest call against Kumar over allegations of voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll and changes relating to Form 6, used for voter registration.
