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Anti-SIR protests: Baton-wielding right-wing activists abuse protesters, journalists, while Delhi Police stand by

Wire editor Siddarth Varadharajan accused the Delhi Police of allowing unidentified men to bring in a “horde of weapons” while detaining protesters speaking to reporters and journalists.

South First Desk

Published Oct 12, 2026 | 10:07 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 12, 2026 | 10:59 AM

Anti-SIR protests: Baton-wielding right-wing activists abuse protesters, journalists, while Delhi Police stand by

At Connaught Place, police were seen allowing a car allegedly containing batons to leave despite repeated demands to inspect it.

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Synopsis: Right-wing activists were reported attacking and threatening protesters and journalists during the second day of anti-SIR protests in Delhi on 11 October, while protesters and reporters accused the Delhi Police of failing to act against the assailants. At Connaught Place, police allowed a car containing batons to leave despite repeated demands for an inspection. At least 10 journalists were detained across the capital, while others reported communal abuse, threats.

Several instances of right-wing activists attacking protesters during the second day of anti-SIR protests in Delhi on Sunday, 11 October, as well as journalists covering the protests, were reported across the capital. In some cases, protesters alleged that the Delhi Police provided tacit support to the attackers.

At Connaught Place, police were seen allowing a car allegedly containing batons to leave despite repeated demands from journalists and protesters gathered there to inspect it.

An independent journalist reporting from the protest site said the car had remained parked in the area for about two hours and that men inside had been heckling them.

The New Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police later said the vehicle had been taken to a police station for verification, where nothing illegal or objectionable was found.


Two of the men seen sitting inside the car had earlier been caught on camera wielding a baton and allegedly threatening to beat up protesters. Another independent journalist accused the men of being members of the Bajrang Dal and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).


The Wire editor Siddarth Varadharajan accused the Delhi Police of allowing unidentified men to bring in a “horde of weapons” while detaining protesters speaking to reporters and journalists.

“The police arrest individuals for speaking to reporters or looking like they are protestors even though they are not raising slogans, carrying placards or weapons of any kind. But when unidentified persons with a horde of weapons in their motor car are spotted hanging around in this prohibited zone, the police makes no attempt to establish who they are let alone detain them. Instead they are allowed, indeed, encouraged to escape!” he wrote in a post on X.


Also Read: CJP alleges Karnataka volunteers detained near Delhi-Haryana border, transported out of capital

Journalists threatened, targeted with communal abuse

Maktoob Media said a group of men wearing press cards surrounded, threatened and verbally abused its journalist Fida Fathima while she was covering the protests on Sunday.

A video of the confrontation recorded by Fida shows men wearing press lanyards shouting “Topi Media”, an Islamophobic slur, at her and accusing the journalists of insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Fida is heard repeatedly asking the men which organisation they represented and demanding that they show their press identity cards. They refused to identify their affiliations and continued shouting at her.

“We are here to report what is happening,” Fida tells the men, demanding that they stop spreading communal poison.


In a separate incident, an independent journalist accused the Delhi Police of allowing a man to intimidate protesters and journalists. A video of the confrontation shows the journalist asking the man to identify himself. The man replies, “My introduction? I’m a patriot.”

The journalist challenges him, asking who had given him the authority to decide who was a patriot and insisting on her right to ask questions as a member of the media.

The journalist said the men present had been picked up by the police earlier but were back at the protest site shortly afterwards, giving statements to the media.

“This is the police’s one-sided conduct, and you can clearly see here just how much free rein the police are giving to right-wingers,” she added.


Also Read: ‘Can’t intimidate democracy into silence’: John Brittas seeks President’s intervention after ‘brutal’ police assault

At least 10 journalists detained

Newslaundry executive editor Manisha Pande said journalist Ramit Verma, known for his work behind the satirical platform The Peeing Human, was picked up near Connaught Place’s inner circle.

Citing journalists Basant Raj Sonu and Awadhesh Kumar, Pande said groups of right-wing men were singling out students and protesters associated with Left unions. The men accused Verma of trying to burn shops, a charge Pande described as baseless.

Pande said security personnel took Verma away while the men confronting protesters were allowed to move freely.


Separately, veteran journalist Srinivas Jain reported that at least seven journalists were detained at RK Ashram Marg in central Delhi. He said several were pushed roughly into a police van after a confrontation with a police officer.

Jain said the officer in charge, Angad Mehta, told him that the journalists had surrounded and aggressively questioned a policeman and that one of them had pushed the officer. Jain said he could not independently verify that allegation.

Mehta told Jain that the police had nothing against journalists but expected them to respect boundaries, and said he would order their release. Jain questioned why the police had detained six or seven journalists even if an officer had been pushed.


“Surely, the police have the training to deal with these situations where even if there’s some back and forth, you don’t go and detain six to seven journalists,” Jain said.

“What we witnessed was frankly brazenly unprofessional and deeply concerning actions by the police,” Jain said, adding that the police were bearing down on journalists trying to cover an already volatile situation.

(Edited by Dese Gowda)

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