'Manhandling' of Priyanka Gandhi: Cong burns effigy of UP CM

Congress workers burnt an effigy of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath following allegations that their party leader Priyanka Gandhi was manhandled by police personnel on her way to the residence of a former IPS officer held for anti-CAA protests in Lucknow.

The Congress workers, led by party MLA from Bhopal Arif Masood, held placards reading 'UP Police Murdabad'.

They torched Adityanath's effigy at Sapan Chowk near Jehangirabad police station here around Saturday midnight.

The Congress workers shouted slogans like "Yogi teri tanashahi nahi chalegi" and "Modi teri tanashahi nahi chalegi" (Yogi, Modi your dictatorship won't prevail).

The protesters, including some burqa-clad women, pledged their support to the Congress general secretary, saying "Priyanka Gandhi Zindabad" and "Priyanka Gandhi tum sangharsh karo, hum tumhare saath hain" (carry on your struggle, we are with you).

"Only our leader Priyanka Gandhi has launched a struggle against barbarism in Uttar Pradesh, where the other opposition parties were inactive," Masood told reporters on the sidelines of the protest.

"I strongly condemn her manhandling by Uttar Pradesh Police," he said.

Gandhi alleged in Lucknow on Saturday that she was manhandled by police personnel, who grabbed her by the throat and pushed her when she resisted their attempts to stop her from visiting the house of retired IPS officer S R Darapuri, arrested in connection with the recent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

An Uttar Pradesh police officer, however, said the allegations were false.