Fact-finding team accuses UP Police of 'targeting Muslims'

New Delhi: A fact-finding team, which included students from Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Banaras Hindu University among others, on Wednesday accused the Uttar Pradesh Police of 'brutality' and targeting Muslims.

Different teams of the students visited all 15 violence-affected cities during protests against Citizenship Amendment Act and NRC, which includes Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Aligarh, Bijnor, Firozabad, Saharanpur, Bhadohi, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Mau, Varanasi, Faizabad, Sambhal, Shamali.

"Police exclusively targeted Muslim ghettos who were from lowest strata of society and economically very weak people who worked as ragpickers, daily wage labourer, worked at small dhabas, etc. In Meerut we got to know about the incident that occurred on December 20, during the silent peaceful protest police brutally use the excessive power and fired on the public which has resulted in to the death of a 25 year old ragpickers who was coming back after collecting the waste material," said the fact-finding team.

"We have talked to the victims who were detained and tortured. We have talked to the families of the victims who died in the protest and we can tell you that the police had unleashed violence on peaceful protesters," said Kriti Raz, a student of the Department of Social Works at Delhi University.

The team said that injured people have refused to visit the hospitals due to the fear that they would be detained or that a notice to compensate for vandalism will be sent to their house. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had warned of a 'crackdown' on the protesters while the government ordered that those found responsible for damaging public property during the protests would have to pay for it.

Speaking to Millennium Post Ananya, who was part of the team and is a first-year student at Department of Social Works at Delhi University, said their team visited Meerut from January 14 to 16 and January 17 to Muzzafarnagar.

"When we visited Muzzafarnagar, arrests were still happening and are still arresting people. The police have also tried to manipulate the narrative that the people who have died are due to a gang war. Meanwhile, people have video evidence showcasing something different."

Ananya also said that the local newspapers are not covering the issue and are instead turning the narrative around.

Taking the example of Asif, who was booked for violence Ananya said, "Asif was booked as the 'mastermind' behind the protests, just because his aadhar card has Delhi address. He belongs from Meerut and has been working and residing in Delhi. He had especially come to Meerut to join the protests."

The students met the family members and the victims.

"Most of the victims refused to talk to us, because they were so scared," added the DU student. The fact-finding team is in talks with their lawyers and are also trying to bail people who the team says have been "illegally detained."