India’s Supreme Court said baton charges cannot be used merely because a protest is taking place, during hearings on several petitions seeking an investigation into a police action at a demonstration over alleged question-paper leaks. The court made the remarks on July 27, according to the report.

The petitions concerned a July 20 protest in Delhi by Kakoroch Janata Party, which demanded the education minister’s resignation over the allegations. The report also said tear gas and baton charges were used during a march by protesting students toward India’s parliament over the same demand.

The top court said the constitution fully guarantees the right to peaceful and lawful protest. It stated that as long as a demonstration remains peaceful, baton charges cannot be carried out solely on the ground that people are protesting.