Press Release

UP GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE DISMISSED-PRESS BRIEFING BY MS. SUSHMITA DEV

ALL INDIA CONGRESS COMMITTEE 24, AKBAR ROAD, NEW DELHI COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT

28/12/2019
Ms. Sushmita Dev, Spokesperson AICC and President, All India Mahila
Congress addressed the media at AICC Hdqrs, today.
Ms. Sushmita Dev said- We have seen in the news, what has happened this
evening in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. All India Congress Committee, General
Secretary, In-charge of Uttar Pradesh was in Lucknow to attend the Foundation
Day function of the Congress and like any responsible opposition leader in this
country, she felt it was her duty to meet the family of the people, who were
affected, victimized, brutally treated by the Uttar Pradesh Police in a manner
worse then how criminals are treated. She felt her duty to meet the family
members of these protesters, who have been jailed. It is extremely unfortunate
that while she was on her way to meet Ex officer Darapuri Ji’s family, the 84 year
old, who has been jailed, while he was protesting along with the entire nation
against CAA.

She was suddenly stopped in a manner by the Uttar Pradesh Police to be specific
the Circle Officer. First they obstructed her car and not just obstructed her car,
obstructed her car in a way that it could have well turned into an accident that
Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Ji could have been involved in. Suddenly to stop a
Protectee’s car in this manner without any safeguards is putting Smt. Priyanka
Gandhi Vadra’s life in danger. After that, when she categorically asked the Uttar
Pradesh police that what is the reason that you are stopping me, when there are
less than five people in her car. As per the section 144, she is entitled to travel
with less than five people in the car. Is it a crime to go and visit the family
members of the people, who have been jailed by the Uttar Pradesh Police, which
has in the last few days unfolded mayhem in Uttar Pradesh. Today there are
more than 25 people, who have died protesting against this unconstitutional law
and let me tell you that out of those 25 people, 18 people have been killed are
from Uttar Pradesh. Out of that 12 people have died of bullet injuries.
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Same Uttar Pradesh police today, I believe, attempted to put Priyanka Gandhi
Vadra Ji’s life in danger by stopping her car in the manner they did. Secondly,
when she got off from the car and said- I am quietly without disturbing the peace
of Uttar Pradesh going to meet a senior IPS Ex officer’s family, who is in jail, they
did not let her move physically and I want to tell the viewers and the people,
who are listening this press meet that let me state it categorically- Uttar Pradesh
Police physically manhandled, Priyanka Gandhi Ji. Uttar Pradesh police officer,
female police officer, we don’t believe in misleading the nation like the Bhartiya
Janta Party, physically pushed her around her neck in a manner that she lost her
balance and fell down. I want to ask Ajay Bisht, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister
that what does he think, he is running in Uttar Pradesh. Is this a democratic
Government of the people and for the people or is it Ajay Bisht’s goondaraj that
is running in Uttar Pradesh?

There after, Priyanka Gandhi Ji got on to her two wheeler and went couple of
Kilometers. They again gheraoed her two wheeler. If you see the video clippings
run on the social media, there are just two people on a two wheeler going. I want
to ask the Uttar Pradesh police that- Is two people travelling on a two wheeler
peacefully amounts to violation of section 144? They gheraoed her two wheeler
too and there after she walked about 8 kilometers which took 1-1/2 hours and
she went to eventually met to the wife of the ex IPS officer Darapuri Ji, who is in
jail.

I want to ask the Uttar Pradesh police that- Are you running Uttar Pradesh as a
banana republic? Are there any civil liberties in Uttar Pradesh and today
Priyanka Gandhi Ji, who is a special protectee she has CRPF security as the entire
nation knows, how can you treat her like that? How can you treat her like that?
We call for an explanation, we are going to demand an enquiry to look into the
circumstances under what this happens and I think we can well imagine, what is
happening to the common man, which has no kind of protections, CRPF or any
other protection in Uttar Pradesh. What a common man is going through in Uttar
Pradesh is beyond doubt. I believe Ajay Bisht should be ashamed of himself and
let me tell you that Congress Party stands with all the protesters, who have been
protesting in the nation, despite the brutal police force, the complete abuse of
power that is going on in this country and today it has been unleashed on
Priyanka Gandhi Ji, just like all the other protesters and the Congress Party will
not stand for this.
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We want action against Adityanath for behaving in this manner and for the Uttar
Pradesh police, the officer should be suspended, should be removed and I need
not tell my friends in the media, what the Uttar Pradesh police has been doing
because there are enough videos out there in the public domain to show the kind
of racism, the kind of misuse of power, the kind of misuse of disproportionate
force against Priyanka Gandhi Ji and other protesters has been on going in the
last few days.

(Vineet Punia)
Secretary
Communication Deptt.
AICC