'Foreign hand is becoming visible': Ex-foreign secretary questions Harvard alumni statement over Delhi protests

Former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal on Monday alleged that external forces were mobilising alongside protesters in Delhi. He questioned why Harvard University alumni had joined the criticism of the police action against demonstrators.

"The foreign hand is becoming visible. This is part of external mobilisation in cahoots with the protestors. Why are the Harvard alumni joining these anarchical protests?" Sibal wrote on X.

Earlier today, 100 Harvard University alumni issued a statement condemning what they described as "police brutality, unlawful detention, and violations of constitutional rights of all peaceful protestors" in Delhi on October 10.

Why Harvard alumni criticised the police action

The Harvard alumni expressed solidarity with senior advocate Shadan Farasat, a 2009 Harvard Law School alumnus, who they said was manhandled by the Delhi Police.

They also highlighted the detention of Mehr Pasricha, policy head at the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), who graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2025.

The alumni called on the government and law enforcement authorities to stop violations of constitutional rights and respect the right to peaceful protest and access to legal assistance.

"We call upon the government and all law enforcement authorities to immediately cease and desist from all violations of constitutional rights, respect rights to peaceful protest and access to legal assistance, and ensure that those responsible for abuses are held accountable in accordance with the rule of law," the statement said.

Protests against CEC

The opposition and CJP have been protesting against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the SIR process. Over the weekend, Delhi turned into a fortress, with massive deployment of security personnel, closure of 45 metro stations and intensive checks at the city's border points.

Thousands of protesters, including Cockroach Janta Party leaders and former chief ministers, were detained. But later, they were released.