Despite being caught on camera, the police denied the lathicharge.
A group of students protesting outside their school in Bhiwari in Rajasthan were lathicharged by the police today. The principal of the government school was among the men caught on camera beating up the children, who were demanding against a shortage of teachers.
The students, aged between 14 to 17, had been asking for more teachers to help them with specific subjects. They said that after the administration did not take notice for days is when they decided to stage a
dharna outside the school.
"We have been complaining about shortage of teachers but no one ever took notice," said a student Sunil.
In order to break the protest, first the principal started beating up the students, who then blocked the Bhiwadi Phool Bagh Road. The school administration then called the police who rained lathis on the children to drive them off the road.
"The police came and hit us with sticks, " said 14-year-old Suman.
Despite being seen on camera slapping the children, Satish Garg, the principal of the school has denied the use of any kind of force.
"There is no such thing. We explained to the children and we have informed the higher authorities in the education department that there is a shortage of staff in the school," he said.
The police who were caught on camera hitting the children too denied using force.
"We were called because the road was jammed , no lathicharge happened, " said a police inspector Sheesh Ram.
While most of them ran to save themselves, some of the students pelted stones at the police in retaliation.