Cong moves NHRC over police ‘atrocities’ in UP

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 27

The Congress today petitioned the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on alleged atrocities by the Uttar Pradesh Government and state police in the wake of anti-CAA and National Register of Citizens protests.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary for UP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the Congress delegation to the commission seeking immediate action in “cases of human rights violations by the state”.

Rahul in his intervention at the Commission said, “There is a systematic process being put in place across the country under which police mitras are being inducted to brutalise the people.”

“What is taking place is against the idea of India and the Constitution of the country. We cannot become a country where the leadership brutalises its own people. The NHRC is the appropriate institution to safeguard the human rights. NHRC is defending the idea of India and everything that has been promised by our Constitution,” Rahul said at the meeting with commission chairperson.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the party submitted a comprehensive memorandum to the Commission over “routine violation of human rights in Uttar Pradesh”.

“The memorandum consists of photos, videos and names of victims of state and police atrocities. We have spoken on nine points and flagged the attention of the NHRC on these issues. We have also given detailed facts on 23 deaths in the state in which many FIRs have been registered, but none against police personnel. Details of deaths and of how bullets were fired in people’s eyes, chests and bodies have been given to the commission along with locations and names of police personnel perpetrating violence,” Singhvi said.

The Congress specifically objected to the recruitment of UP Government of police mitras who, Gandhis said, had become a law unto themselves.

“Police mitras are anti-people. We showed videos to NHRC of how only people with links to the BJP and RSS have been recruited as police mitras. We showed videos of police mitras using batons and destroying properties,” Singhvi added.

The Congress also detailed in the memorandum the notices UP administration had sent to protesters threatening to confiscate their assets for recovery of damages to public property.

“We showed the commission notices under which the administration is threatening people with action if they protest and demonstrate. People are being threatened with jail and attachment of assets should they exercise their democratic right to protest. We were heard very patiently and we hope for quick action,” Singhvi added.

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