Fact-finding team comprising students accuses UP Police of 'brutality', targeting Muslims
New Delhi, Jan 22: A fact-finding team comprising students from several prominent universities such as JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia and Banaras Hindu University on Wednesday accused the Uttar Pradesh police of "brutality" in dealing with anti-CAA protests and targeting Muslims.
The fact-finding team travelled to all 15 violence-affected cities in Uttar Pradesh from Meerut to Bijnor to Firozabad from January 14-19.
"Police exclusively targeted Muslim ghettos and economically marginalised people who worked as ragpickers, daily wage labourer, at small dhabas, etc," the report released to the media by the group of students at a press conference here alleged.
It claimed that the police, instead of curbing the protest and dispersing people, open fired on the people killing mostly youngsters especially minors.
The UP government and police has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and asserted that security personnel deployed to maintain law and order were attacked.
Violence during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests claimed lives in districts such as Bijnor, Sambhal, Firozabad, Kanpur, Varanasi and Meerut in the state.
"Police did not conform to the basic principles of the use of fire arms and fired above the waist. UP police have been arresting people across the state without evidence and especially at night," the report titled 'Lawless Uttar Pradesh -- Students report on Police brutality' alleged.
A student, who was part of the fact-finding team, said families of the deceased were not allowed to take dead bodies back to their homes and were forced to bury them within an hour or so under heavy police deployment.
The police entered through roofs and broke down doors and due to this many families have temporarily fled and, in many cases, male members of the family have not been returning home and have been staying somewhere else after work, the report claimed.
"This violence could be seen as the culmination of communal polarisation spread by government and media over the past few years affecting the administration and common people's psyche and generating a sense of hatred towards a particular community," the report said.
Besides JNU, Jamia and BHU, students from universities and educational institutions such as the Delhi University, Aligarh Muslim University, IIT Indore and IIMC Delhi were part of the fact-finding committee.
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Rahul Gandhi to go on two-day Raebareli visit from May 19
Raebareli (UP) (PTI): Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP from Raebareli Rahul Gandhi will arrive here on May 19 on a two-day visit, a Congress office-bearer said on Monday.
Congress district president of Raebareli Pankaj Tiwari said that on the first day, Gandhi will inaugurate a marriage hall at Thakurain Kheda in Bachhrawan. Subsequently, he will address a public meeting in Khiron. In Lalganj, he will participate in a 'mahila samvaad' programme.
He further said that on May 20, he will meet the public during a 'Janata Darshan' programme at the Bhuyemau Guest House. Following this, he will participate in the unveiling of a statue of Veera Pasi and attend a public meeting in Lodhwari.
He will then depart for Amethi.
In Amethi, Gandhi will hold meetings with party functionaries, workers and senior leaders at the party's district headquarters, Congress district unit chief Pradeep Singhal said on Sunday.
According to political observers, this meeting would form a part of the strategic preparations for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, alongside an organisational review.
Discussions during the meeting are likely to focus on strengthening the party organisation down to the booth level, increasing participation of youth and women workers, and accelerating public outreach campaigns across villages.
According to sources, a large number of party workers -- from Gram Sabha to the district level -- have been invited to attend the meeting.
Gandhi is expected to interact directly with workers.
During the one-day visit, the Congress leader will also travel to Poore Ramdeen Pandit -- the native village of late Congress district president Yogendra Mishra -- to meet his family members.
Mishra, considered a close associate of the Gandhi family, passed away on March 1 following a prolonged illness.
Political activities in the district have intensified ahead of Gandhi's visit, and party workers have already started making arrangements for his reception.
Kishori Lal Sharma, the Congress MP from Amethi, is also holding regular meetings with local leaders and functionaries to review the preparations.
