Kejriwal compares Modi to Jallianwala Bagh's General Dyer over police action

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to British General Reginald Dyer, who ordered the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919. The comparison came during a press conference where Kejriwal criticised the Delhi Police's actions during a protest on July 20.

Kejriwal said that the police under the Modi government had surpassed the British in oppressing people. He referred to videos showing police beating students and using tear gas on peaceful protesters. The former Delhi chief minister accused the police of registering false FIRs against young people and said many parents were unable to locate their children.

"Modi ji, this country is not your fiefdom; it belongs to 140 crore Indians. Stop threatening, otherwise they will teach you a lesson that history will remember as the fate that befell a dictator in this country," Kejriwal said in Hindi.

Kejriwal announced that the AAP has formed a legal team to assist protesters and their families. He set up a helpline number and said he would visit RML Hospital and the Parliament Street police station to gather information about those detained or injured.

The Delhi Police had issued a press release stating they would register FIRs against all participants of the protest. Kejriwal urged the prime minister to stop threatening the public, asserting that the country will not be intimidated.

Reginald Dyer was the British officer who commanded troops to fire on unarmed civilians at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on April 13, 1919, killing hundreds. This historical reference has been used in Indian political rhetoric to criticise authoritarian actions.

The protest on July 20 was against recent policies of the central government. The police action has drawn criticism from opposition parties, with AAP being the most vocal in condemning the use of force.