The entire State machinery of the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh “led from the top, acted with grave prejudice and perpetrated violence targeting one particular community, the State’s Muslim population” during the clampdown on those demonstrating against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, a group of activists alleged on Thursday.
Under the banner of Karwan-e-Mohabbat and U.P. Coordination Committee Against NRC, CAA, NPR and Detention Centres, the group, led by activist Harsh Mander, released a report here titled “A State at war with its people”, highlighting the alleged police brutality against protesters.
The U.P. police “have been found to sometimes behave like a lynch mob, and also to chase and shoot both protesters and innocent bystanders with an intent to kill,” the report noted.
The report accuses Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of indulging in “culpable hate speech” and “inciting revenge against the Muslim citizens”.
The activists said the conclusions were based on the testimonies by victims and fact-finding reports heard by a “jury” of former Supreme Court judges and civil servants.
