Some policemen in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home-state of Gujarat have been captured on camera overturning vegetable-laden carts and chasing vendors with sticks for defying the lockdown imposed to curb the coronavirus outbreak in India.
The video swiftly went viral on social media, leaving social media users outraged by the violent takedown of the poor people of Ahmedabad.
A policeman, V R Chaudhari has been suspended and an inquiry was called against three others after the video was widely shared.
Ahmedabad police at work. Krishnanagar PI Vishnu Chaudhary along with other policemen are seen toppling vegetable-laden lorries. @dgpgujarat has instructed to suspend the policemen involved in this incident immediately. pic.twitter.com/myf3YPuUuV
— Jignesh (@thisisjignesh) March 31, 2020
Despite exceptions for essential service providers like healthcare workers, medical staff, media and grocery shops, the police crackdown has been concerning the public at large.
The suspension of the police official, however, did not mellow the netizens, as they called for the vendors to be compensated and questioned the insensitive and violent behaviour of the police.
This is quite simply a criminal act. Even if it’s perpetrated by men in uniform
— atul kasbekar (@atulkasbekar) March 31, 2020
The food is so very precious to so many more at this point that this reeks of a special level of insensitivity
Criminal.
— vijay (@atta_deep) March 31, 2020
What sadistic pleasure these police get from ruining the poor?
This is illegal. Is the police driving a lockdown only to show Modi's power?
They should be arrested.
In another similar video, a policeman was seen attacking street vendors.
#askzee have only thrashing and brutality option left to contain corona?
— KESHAV JHA(JJ) (@nucleus_21) March 26, 2020
Why police is being ruthless across many part of country though some are making aware and helping people to understand. Is this a one day fight? pic.twitter.com/FkiJYMYfms
And another video showed a cop thrashing a man carrying essential supplies.
They are far better than AP police thrashing people like they are criminals pic.twitter.com/2sJ87ZximE
— ravi kumar bojja (@ravsbojja) March 28, 2020
Earlier, a Delhi policeman was suspended after a video of him vandalising vegetable carts went viral. A similar video showed the policeman overturning the carts of vegetable hawkers while scaring them with his baton.
