Congress to take on UP government on police brutality

The Congress party is to devise a strategy to take on the Uttar Pradesh government on the police brutality against anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protestors, it was learnt from sources here on Thursday.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi has called a meeting of the party's advisory body in Lucknow on the party's foundation day on December 28.

The party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi will be in Lucknow on the foundation day, while former Congress President Rahul Gandhi will head to Guwahati where he will address a rally and lead protest against the CAA.

The situation in Uttar Pradesh is tense with already 15 people shot dead in alleged police firing related to the protests. Priyanka Gandhi had met the kin of victims in Bijnor, but could not go to Meerut after she, along with brother Rahul Gandhi, were turned back from the district border.

The Congress party has announced a week-long agitation across the country against the CAA, for which the party has asked its leaders to organise a flag march in each state and inform the people about the CAA.

On Thursday, the Congress also raised objections to the process of the National Population Register (NPR). The party alleged that this NPR exercise would involve invading the privacy of the citizen.

Congress leader Ajay Maken said that the NPR proposed during the previous UPA regime was just an exercise on residency and not on citizenship, while the current government at the Centre should clarify its position on the issue.IANS