Anti CAA protest: UP police arrest chief of UP Congress minority cell Shahnawaz Alam

In what may be called an ‘illegal’ act committed by it, the UP police on Monday night arrested head of the UP Congress minority cell, Shahnawaz Alam in Lucknow. Alam can be seen being taken away by the police in CCTV footage released by the UP Congress.

Hours after Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu and senior leader Aradhana Mishra gheraoed Hazratganj police station with hundreds of Congress activists, UP police disclosed that the arrest has been made in connection with the anti-CAA-NRC protest organized at the Parivartan Chowk in Lucknow in December 2019.

“After investigation, we found evidence against Alam who is an office-bearer in the UP Congress. That is why we arrested him,” said the police.

Decrying the arrest, Lallu said UP police cannot take away the rights to protest in a democracy. “Has democracy died in UP?” questioned Lallu.

The UP Congress tweeted the CCTV footage, saying the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government is afraid of the Congress because the party, being the main opposition party, has been raising several public issues related to governance.

Congress claimed that police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse Congress activists who were protesting against the arrest outside the Hazratganj police station in the night.

This is a developing story