WATCH: UP police manhandle Priyanka in Lucknow, Priyanka takes scooter ride to activist’s home

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi hitched a ride on a scooter, when the police tried to block her way to the house of a retired IPS officers in Lucknow on Saturday.

The Congress has condemned the police’s high handedness and demanded dismissal of the Yogi Adityanath government and imposition of the President’s Rule in the state that has seen unprecedented police atrocities over the last week.

While Priyanka was on her way to meet SR Darapuri, a police car suddenly came in front of her cavalcade and blocked her car from moving further ahead. The police gave no reasons to stop Gandhi’s cavalcade, a Z-Plus protectee, in the middle of the road and to why she could not go to her destination.

When the police did not budge, Priyanka Gandhi got off the car and started walking along the road. Her security personnel quickly formed a ring around her and started walking along.

She had hardly walked a 50 meters when a senior woman police officer, apparently a DSP, tried to grab her by the throat and jostled in order to stop her. A few male police officers were also part of the police team that tried to hold the Congress leader from walking ahead.

The Congress general secretary told mediapersons that the police tried to stop her, she was surrounded, held by the throat by a female cop and pushed by another as she was walking towards Darapuri's residence in Indiranagar's sector 18.

Here is the video of the woman police officer manhandling the Congress leader:

This is how the police stopped Priyanka Gandhi’s car in the middle of the road.

Afterwards, Priyanka Gandhi travelled some distance on a party worker’s two-wheeler. But a police car stopped the scooter too.

Finally, Gandhi walked down to the residence of Darapuri, 77, who has been thrown behind the bars for protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). His wife is very unwell and bed ridden.

Priyanka Gandhi finally met Darapuri’s wife who could not even get up from her bed. Gandhi sat beside her and consoled the elderly woman who was in tears.

The Congress party bitterly criticised the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government over police excess and demanded imposition of President's Rule in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, Congress leader Sushmita Dev said Priyanka Gandhi was acting as a responsible leader without disturbing peace.

The Congress leader "didn't violate Section 144 but even then she was manhandled by police", Dev said.

She added that there is “complete goonda raj” in the state and there should be President's rule in the state.

Earlier in the day, the Hazrat Ganj Police Circle Officer (DSP) entered the house where Priyanka Gandhi was staying and indulged in a heated argument with the CRPF security personnel.

The Congress has lodged a complaint in this regard with the CRPF Director General in New Delhi.

The Uttar Pradesh police have arrested more than a 1,000 persons, including social activists, writers, theatre artistes, academicians, students and common people for protesting against the CAA, tortured them brutally and booked them for rioting. At least 18 persons have died over the last week, allegedly in police firing.