Unrepentant lawyer cocks a snook at police, leads protest
Vikram Chauhan, the face of violence at Patiala House courts, leads march at India Gate, shows no remorse for actions
NEW DELHI: A defiant Vikram Chauhan, the advocate who manhandled JNU supporters and mediapersons at Patiala House, led a protest by over 1,000 lawyers on Friday against what he called ‘anti-national’ students and ‘paid media’ , ignoring police summons to join the probe into the violence.
“If they provoke and challenge our patriotism and attack us, we will definitely respond,” Chauhan said referring to thrashing of mediapersons and supporters of JNU students both on Monday and Wednesday as the police stood a mute spectator.
Chauhan refused to acknowledge that lawyers were involved in the violence and blamed the students instead. “JNU students in black coats raised slogans at Gate No. 2. No citizen of this country can tolerate anti-national slogans,” Chauhan , who was felicitated by a group of lawyers at Karkardooma court complex on Thursday for what he did at Patiala House, told ANI.
After beating up journalists and JNU supporters on Monday, Chauhan led a march by lawyers at Patiala House on Tuesday. Chauhan, the face of the attacks, along with Yashpal Singh, who was also asked to join probe by the police, did not report to the police and joined the protesters instead.
Both appeared unfazed as they said they “will not think twice before acting against the antisocial elements”.
“I was very much part of the protests and why should I not be,” Chauhan said.
“We will keep attacking the anti-nationals no matter what. We will not tolerate any insult to our motherland. Let police issue summons against us,” one of Chauhan’s colleagues told PTI.
Police sources said they would send a third summon to Chauhan and his colleagues Om Sharma and Yashpal Sharma. Investigating officials said they would approach the court, if the three did not respond to the third summon.
Police commissioner BS Bassi said he would not comment on the course of investigation. “Let police do its job. A case has been registered and we will investigate the case on merit,” he said.
Protesting in black robes and waving the tricolour, the lawyers insisted that whoever speaks to them repeats, “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, with them. Over 1,000 lawyers, after taking a round of India Gate, continued sloganeering at the Patiala House court’s gates.
Some reporters were asked to repeat patriotic slogans before the lawyers agreed to speak with them.
Carrying placards and the national flag, the lawyers burnt a red effigy of the arrested JNUSU president, Kanhaiya Kumar, and Umar Khalid with their names written on it. By 2.30 pm a small group of around 10 lawyers entered the gates of the court waving the flag. Minutes later, buses full of lawyers reached the venue chanting, “Paid media go back”.
“Bharat mein agar rehna hoga, vande mataram kehna hoga”, “Desh drohiyon wapis jao”, and “Hum bharat ke lal hain, desh ki shaan hai”, were some of the slogans shouted at the march.
“We are protecting the honour of our motherland. We don’t have a political agenda. If we do not stop such anti-national activities then it will be a grave injustice to the coming generations,” said Subhash Yadav, lawyer.