At Rahul’s press meet, Muslims allege profiling during NEET protest

A Muslim woman who participated in the July 20 march to Parliament over alleged NEET irregularities claimed on Wednesday that Delhi Police targeted her because of her name, branded her a "traitor" and assaulted her during the protest. Another demonstrator alleged that she too faced Islamophobic abuse after being mistaken for a Muslim.

The students recounted their experiences while addressing the media alongside Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

Farhanaaz, a graduate student from Uttar Pradesh, alleged that police singled her out because of her Muslim identity during what she described as a peaceful demonstration. She claimed that officers assaulted protesters, judged her because of her name and repeatedly called them "traitors," Maktoob Media reported.

She further alleged that despite protesters raising slogans such as "Vande Mataram" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", they were still portrayed as anti-national. According to her, similar allegations had been amplified on social media, but she maintained that the protesters would continue to speak up for the country.

Another protester, Muskan Sharma, alleged that she was subjected to Islamophobic remarks after people assumed she was Muslim. She also accused the police of using excessive force during the demonstration and claimed that a male Rapid Action Force (RAF) officer attempted to jab a baton into her buttocks.

Addressing the gathering, Rahul Gandhi said the students had committed no offence by protesting against alleged irregularities in the examination system. He accused the authorities of resorting to violence instead of responding to the students' concerns.

Describing the education system as deeply flawed and deteriorating, Gandhi said seeking reforms could not be treated as a crime. He praised the students for defending the Constitution, the education system and the country's future, while condemning what he called attempts to intimidate them.

He also alleged that protesters had been harassed after the demonstration, referring to claims of people being threatened at their homes and a 15-year-old girl being forced to apologise.

Riya Ahir, who came into the spotlight after stopping a Mumbai Police vehicle carrying detained protesters, alleged that she had been subjected to sustained harassment since the incident. She claimed that her intervention to help students had been used against her, alleging that she had faced online abuse, including from political party workers, and had not received an FIR despite filing a complaint.

Nutan Toppo, a student from Jharkhand, alleged that police fired a pellet gun in her direction during the crackdown. She claimed that she saw the weapon being aimed at the protesters before it was fired.

Gandhi held Union Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for the alleged police action, accusing him of failing to address the incident. He further argued that if the Home Minister was unaware of the alleged violence, it reflected incompetence on his part.