Lucknow: The legislations the ruling BJP party are attempting to implement in India are “not just against one community but against the entire Constitution, and poor people”, said Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Wednesday.
She was addressing a rally in Azamgarh that was protesting against the unconstitutional Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC).
She was in the state to meet a group of women who had faced the alleged police brutality last week in Bilariyaganj during their sit-in protest against the legislation.
UP Police files FIR
As many as 20 persons had been arrested while 35 individuals have been named in the FIR.Rashtriya Ulema Council Tahir Madni was booked under charges of sedition, rioting, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy and 14 other points.
Police retorts to Lathi-charge on women protestors
The protesters, comprising a large number of women, however, have accused the police of brutality without provocation, and of forcefully dispersing them with lathi-charge, leaving several persons injured.
Soon after meeting the victims of alleged police action, Ms. Vadra took out a roadshow where she slammed the U.P. Police for the brutal assault at the silent protesters.
She added that she would soon pen a report to the National Human Rights Commission about the alleged police atrocities in Azamgarh including the police officers and personnel who had committed these atrocities.
“The Congress party stands by you today and will stand by you till you get justice,” she said.
Protectors turn assaulters
Police’s job is to protect people, not to hit them she said to the crowd gathered in Azamgarh.
Attempt to break the Constitution
The ruling party and other state governments were against the poor and were trying to “break the Constitution”, and appealed to people to “come forward to save it [the Constitution]”.
Priyanka also addressed the ‘reservation’ issue which is being treated as unconstitutional by the BJP party.
“Some days ago, the BJP issued this statement in Uttarakhand — that reservation is not a Constitutional right.”
“The BJP spoke of breaking the Constitution even while in the Supreme Court,” she said.