A delegation of Congress leaders, led by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, met senior officials of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and sought action against alleged police atrocities on anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress alleged victims have been made accused in case-related FIRs and no police officer has been named in any of the cases.
In its 31-page memorandum to the NHRC that include videos uploaded by witnesses, ground reports and other “unbiased” media reports show police firing and mercilessly beating of the protesters and photographs as “evidence”, the Congress has alleged that the BJP Government in the state “treats its own citizens like criminals” and demanded a thorough probe into the deaths that took place in the State during violent protests against the CAA.
After the meeting, Rahul Gandhi alleged the UP Government has “gone to war against its own people” and urged the NHRC to act decisively to protect the “Constitutional rights of our citizens”.
“A delegation of Congress leaders presented the NHRC with evidence of the atrocities against the citizens of UP by the State Govt., which has gone to war against its own people. The NHRC must act decisively to protect the idea of India & the Constitutional rights of our citizens,” Rahul said in a tweet.
According to the memorandum, given the role of a reckless State Government that views the law and constitution as mere inconveniences, treats its own citizens like criminals and wears its hostility towards ordinary citizens as a badge of pride, the duty of institutions such as the NHRC to act as checks and balances and to embody and protect the values enshrined in the Constitution of India becomes paramount.
It further said the NHRC has a “glorious history” of addressing injustices when all other institutions have fallen short. “We hope and expect that this instance will not be an exception to that legacy.” After the meeting, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi stated that there has been gross human rights violations. We have submitted videos and photos to the NHRC in UP.
Singhvi said the Congress has given detailed facts including on “deaths of 23” people and also details on how they were killed “as some were shot in the chest”.