RAIPUR, DECEMBER 10 It was something the Chhattisgarh police could do without. The police came in for severe criticism when at a function here to mark International Human Rights Day today, slogan-shouting members of an NGO were ‘‘physically thrown out’’ of the venue and not allowed to express their views on alleged atrocities committed by the police.

The incident happened when members of People’s Union for Civil Liberties, stormed the venue protesting against the presence of State Home Minister Brij Mohan Aggarwal at the function organised by the state police, State Human Rights Commission and Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI). Two PUCL activists, Rajendra Sail and Goldy George were hauled away in a waiting police vehicle, said sources. Even as Sail and his supporters insisted on allowing him to express his views on human rights violations committed by the state police, they were dragged out by policemen led by City SP V.K. Chaubey. Sail, who is the PUCL state president, said: ‘‘You owe an explanation on the series of custodial deaths, murders, rapes, atrocities on Dalits and Adivasis and fake encounters. What right have you got to talk of human rights?’’