Actor Prakash Raj’s latest display of political outrage has raised serious questions about his consistency on women’s dignity, accountability and the rule of law. While he has been vocal in condemning the police action against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, his reported sarcastic laughter when asked about allegations of women Delhi Police personnel being pushed, manhandled and harassed during protests has drawn sharp criticism.
Raj appears ready to deliver strong lectures on democracy, government accountability and civil liberties when CJP leaders face police action. But when the conversation shifts to allegations involving women police officers, his reported reaction risks sending an entirely different message.
Women police officers serve on the front lines of law enforcement, often in difficult and volatile situations. They are entitled to the same dignity, protection and respect as every other woman. Allegations of assault or harassment against them deserve a serious response, not ridicule or indifference.
The larger question is one of consistency. Women’s rights cannot be reduced to a political slogan or invoked selectively depending on who is accused of wrongdoing.
If allegations of mistreatment of women protesters warrant scrutiny, allegations involving women police officers deserve the same seriousness. Their uniforms do not make them less deserving of dignity, nor does their role in enforcing the law strip them of their rights.
It is possible to oppose excessive police action and still condemn alleged misconduct by protesters. These positions are not contradictory. In fact, a principled defence of civil liberties demands both. Raj’s reported reaction therefore invites a pointed question: is the concern for women’s dignity universal, or does it depend on whether the issue aligns with one’s political position?
Raj questioned the detention of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, portraying their actions as a simple act of hoisting the Tricolour. However, reducing the entire controversy to a question of flag-hoisting leaves a crucial issue unanswered: does the right to protest exempt anyone from accountability for alleged misconduct?
Raj criticised the police for detaining the two leaders, questioned their overnight detention and objected to their production before a magistrate at around 3 a.m., followed by five days of judicial custody.
