RAF officer Sonia Sehrawat allegedly posted a short clip on her Instagram story that read: “They can’t fix themselves and they want to fix the country.”
Amid the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party protests in Delhi, a name has surfaced online – Rapid Action Force (RAF) officer Sonia Sehrawat, who was present at Jantar Mantar on the day of the Parliament rally on July 20.
She found herself at the center of controversy over an Instagram story she allegedly posted the day after the march. A screenshot of this story, which appears to insult protesters, has since gone viral.
In what reports say is a now-deleted post, Sahrawat posted a short clip on her Instagram story that read: “They can’t fix themselves and they want to fix the country.”
HT was unable to independently verify the post.
The alleged post sparked sharp criticism from the Justice and Development Party, which accused Sahrawat of mocking the demonstrators and justifying what it described as the “brutality” of the security forces.
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“This RAF official actually sees peaceful protesters as cockroaches and believes police brutality was justified because of that. But you see, we are cockroaches. And cockroaches never die,” the CJP said in a post on
The post also drew criticism from TMC MP Mahua Moitra, who shared a screenshot of the story on
Abhijeet asks Sehrawat
On July 20, day CJP’s ‘Sansad Chalo’ rallyparty founder Abhijit Debaki publicly questioned Sehrawat over allegations that RAF personnel used excessive force against protesters, including women.
Standing on top of a truck, Debke addressed the officer directly, saying, “Ma’am, as a woman, I want to know…Do you support the atrocities committed by men against women?”
Referring to a protester who claimed she was assaulted by security personnel from her team, Debke said: “This girl said she was assaulted and hit on her chest. What is this? Is this true, ma’am?”
Sahrawat was standing opposite Debaki with her team when the exchange took place.
Despite his criticism of the police work, Dibek also praised Sehrawat for listening to him calmly and patiently. He said: “I have been here at the protest site for more than a month, but no police officer listened to me the way ma’am did. I want to share my feelings with ma’am. Do you know that everyone here is upset with me for not continuing the march? But I am ready to live with this blame because I would not have been able to live with myself if anything had happened to those students.”
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Sahrawat responds to the accusations
When Sehrawat was asked about Abhijit Debaki’s allegations Hindustan Times That RAF personnel under its command did not attack any demonstrators intentionally or unintentionally. “My soldiers did not do this, either intentionally or unintentionally,” she said. “They are equipped and trained to rescue women.”
Describing what happened during the protest, Sahrawat said she repeatedly appealed to the demonstrators to maintain distance and avoid crowding.
“When chaos broke out, I urged everyone to keep their distance and not stand too close. However, the protesters brought the women to the front while they themselves stayed behind. I don’t know what their motive was. How much can we say?” She told HT.
Explaining the incident further, Sahrawat said that three women fell after the crowd rushed from behind, which led to a stampede-like situation. She added: “When people were pushed from behind, three girls in the front fell. My soldiers were not harmed – I can assure you of that. They were injured in a stampede-like situation.”
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Sehrawat also claimed that she and several RAF personnel were also injured during the encounter. “When I fell to the ground, stones and shoes were thrown at me,” she said. “They even took off my helmet.”
She further claimed that one of the jawans was dragged into the crowd. She added: “How much can anyone bear? If a government employee is subjected to a mass lynching, this is unacceptable. We must act in self-defense.”
She further explained: “When the crowd was pushed from behind, the boys could escape, but the girls could not. There was even a 12-year-old girl. What was a 12-year-old girl doing at the protest without any help? Our priority was to rescue the little girls. We are not enemies, and we are not fools.”
Asked whether Debicki’s statements about being a woman and a mother had affected her emotionally, Sahrawat declined to comment.
“These are personal comments. I will not talk about them,” she said, adding that the crowd also verbally abused security personnel. “They kept calling us fools and abusing us.”
“We are here to protect you, and you don’t want to be protected, so what can I do?” she said, adding that she had injured herself while rescuing female demonstrators during the protest.
Who is Sahrawat?
Sehrawat is an Assistant Commandant in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), working with the Rapid Action Force (RAF). She is active on Instagram, where she has more than 621,000 followers (6.21k).
Her account mostly features posts about her personal life, dance videos, trend reels, fitness content, and occasional glimpses into life in uniform.
Karishma Ayaldasani is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, where she works with the digital team on fast-moving breaking stories from India and around the world. She enjoys covering national and global news, with an emphasis on providing updates quickly and clearly so readers can understand what’s happening as it unfolds. She is comfortable in high-pressure newsroom settings, and regularly contributes live blogs, explainers and real-time coverage. Before joining Hindustan Times, she was part of the digital team at The Indian Express, worked with the social media team at Firstpost, and spent time as a creative strategist at Clematis Advertising. Outside of work, she loves exploring different art forms and relaxing with music. With more than three years of experience in fast-paced newsrooms, she brings curiosity, clarity and consistency to her work.Read more
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