UP govt has crossed all limits of inhumanity: Priyanka

A day after she dodged the police to reach the residence of former IPS officer-turned-activist SR Darapuri, who has been jailed for protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday targeted the state government for arresting social activist Sadaf Jafar.

“Uttar Pradesh government has crossed all the limits of inhumanity. Congress worker Sadaf Jafar in a video is talking to police for arresting those indulging in violence. The police have jailed Sadaf, levelling baseless charges,” said Priyanka in her tweet.

“Both of Sadaf’s kids are eagerly waiting for the release of their mother. This insensitive government has separated children from their mothers, old men from their children,” the Congress leader said in the tweet in Hindi.

The protests against the CAA had led to police action against nearly 300 people. Jafar, the only woman to be arrested, has been sent to jail for alleged violation of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), on charges of criminal conspiracy, rioting, attempt to murder, assault on public servants etc during protests against the CAA in Lucknow on December 19.

The Congress general secretary also discussed the roadmap to accomplish her party’s Mission UP 2022 and

“Yes, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra discussed the roadmap with the state party office bearers to bring the Congress back to power in UP in the 2022 assembly elections. She met family members of social activist Sadaf Jafar at the former’s residence on late Saturday evening. A delegation comprising senior leaders Jitin Prasada, Acharya Pramod Krishnam and Zafar Ali Naqvi was also sent to the residence of Mohammad Waqil, who died in the violence that followed CAA protests (in Lucknow),” said a senior Congress leader.

Besides Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Ajay Kumar Lallu, the office bearers of the new team took part in the meeting with Priyanka. “We will strengthen the party organisation further and raise issues of public concern and launch agitations focusing on problems of farmers, dues of cane growers, stray cattle, rising crime against women, increasing unemployment and protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the NRC,” said UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu after a meeting of state unit office bearers with Priyanka.

After the meeting, Priyanka left for Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha seat of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, to pay condolences to the family of Sunil Srivastava, who died early this week. She will hold another round of meetings with party leaders and delegations in the state capital on Monday.

A delegation of senior party leaders will meet governor Anandiben Patel at Raj Bhawan on Monday. Besides UPCC president Ajay Kumatr Lallu and Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhna Mishra, the delegation will include former union minister Salman Khurshid and senior party leader PL Punia.

Congress spokesman Rajiv Tyagi said the delegation would discuss the prevailing political situation with the governor. There are indications that the delegation may also bring to the governor’s notice the police misbehaviour and manhandling of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who said the police caught her by the neck and she fell when police pushed her on Saturday.