NHRC issues notice to Uttar Pradesh govt over 'police atrocities' on anti-CAA protesters after Congress seeks action

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) has sent a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government days after a Congress delegation led by senior party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met top officials of the rights panel and sought action against alleged police atrocities on anti-CAA protesters in the state, an official said on Monday.

The Congress on 27 January moved the NHRC demanding action against alleged police atrocities on the protesters in the state, claiming that victims have been made accused in case-related FIRs and no police officer has been named.

The delegation had met the NHRC chairperson and other senior officials, and made a detailed 31-page representation which included videos and photographs as “evidence” of alleged atrocities and human rights violations in the state.

After the meeting, Rahul alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government has “gone to war against its own people” and urged the NHRC to act decisively to protect the “constitutional rights of our citizens”.

“The NHRC has taken cognisance of the issue after a Congress delegation visited the commission recently and met the top officials. A notice has been issued to the chief secretary in this connection and response has been sought in six weeks,” the official said.

Priyanka Gandhi on Twitter said, “Happy to see the Honorable NHRC taking cognisance of our complaint. We are hopeful that NHRC chairman will ensure justice to the aggrieved.” She also shared a copy of the notice.

“The NHRC has been requested to intervene into the matter as the complicity of the government of Uttar Pradesh in wilful repression and brutalisation of the people protesting peacefully amounts to violation of human rights and demands full and urgent attention of the commission,” the notice stated

The commission said it has also received some other complaints alleging “high-handedness and excessive use of force” by the police in Lucknow and Kanpur districts during protests against the CAA and the NRC.