Lala Lajpat Rai was demonstrating against the Simon Commission when he succumbed to police brutality. The Simon Commission, also known as the Indian Statutory Commission, was a group of British officials appointed to review the constitutional system in India and suggest reforms. Lala Lajpat Rai opposed the commission because it did not include any Indian members, which he saw as a sign of disrespect towards the Indian people. During the demonstration against the Simon Commission, Lajpat Rai was brutally beaten by the police, which ultimately led to his death. The incident further fueled the fire of Indian independence movement and increased the resentment towards British rule.