Archive · 6 Aug 2026
July 20 protesters accuse police of targeting Muslim-sounding names
Some young people went to a protest to complain about cheating in government exams.
They say the police were very rough with them and hurt them.
A few protesters say police chose them because their names sounded Muslim.
One woman said police beat her and kept her on a bus for three hours.
Another woman said a police officer hit her even though she was walking quietly.
She said people assume she is Muslim just because of her first name.
A man said police hurt injured protesters who were in ambulances going to the hospital.
A famous politician named Rahul Gandhi brought some of them to talk to reporters.
One woman who stopped a police van in Mumbai says people are now bothering her.
The protesters say they will keep standing up for their rights.
Young exam-fraud protesters, presented by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleged police singled them out based on Muslim-sounding names during the July 20 march to Parliament.
Protester Farhanaz of Uttar Pradesh said she was beaten, held on a bus for three hours, and told a separate list would be made for 'traitors'.
Protester Muskan Sharma said a male RAF officer tried to jab a baton at her despite rules, and that her surname is Sharma because people wrongly assume she is Muslim.
Rhiya Ahir, who stopped a police van in Mumbai on July 22, said she is being harassed and still has no FIR from a complaint filed on July 27.
Bharat Banait alleged police assaulted injured protesters after stopping their ambulances, while Nutan Toppo said an officer fired a pellet gun before her ear was mutilated.
- Who
- Young exam-fraud protesters of the Cockroach Janta Party, including Farhanaz, Muskan Sharma, Rhiya Ahir, Nutan Toppo and Bharat Banait, presented by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
- What
- Protesters accused police of singling them out over Muslim-sounding names, beating them, and mistreating the injured during the July 20 march to Parliament.
- When
- The march took place on July 20; allegations were presented to the media on Wednesday, August 5.
- Where
- Jantar Mantar and Parliament Street, with a related incident involving Mumbai Police.
- Why
- Protesters were agitating over exam fraud and allege they were targeted for speaking against the government.
- Event
- July 20 march to Parliament over exam fraud
- Key allegation
- Police singled out protesters with Muslim-sounding names
- Protest group
- Cockroach Janta Party (young exam-fraud agitators)
- Presented by
- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi
- Farhanaz (Uttar Pradesh)
- Beaten, held on a bus for three hours, told a separate list would be made for 'traitors'
- Rhiya Ahir (Mumbai)
- Stopped a police van on July 22; says she prevented 20 children from being unlawfully detained
- FIR status
- Rhiya Ahir filed a complaint on July 27; no FIR as of August 5
- Reported injuries
- Nutan Toppo's ear mutilated after pellet gun fire; injured protesters allegedly assaulted in stopped ambulances