Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday met victims of police atrocities in Muzaffarnagar and Meerut and alleged that the crackdown on those protesting the new citizenship regime was a “state-sponsored torture on innocent people”.

Around 20 people have died in alleged police action in Uttar Pradesh during the anti-CAA and anti-NRC protests. Of them, five were from the two districts Priyanka toured on Saturday.

The protesters had suffered bullet injuries, but director-general of police O.P. Singh had claimed that they had been killed by fellow-agitators.

On her way back to Delhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka went to Sayin Colony at Partapur in Meerut where some family members of the victims had been brought by local party leaders.

Earlier in Muzaffarnagar, she met family members of the victims of police atrocities at the Kidwai Nagar house of Mualana Asad Raza, whose madarsa had allegedly faced police action.

Those who met Priyanka were either relatives of those who were arrested or family members of those who had suffered injuries in police lathi-charge on December 20.

She also met students of Asad’s madarsa, where the police had allegedly attacked pupils, many of whom were minors, and arrested some of them.

“While some of the students have been released, many are still in jail. I met one student with a fractured hand and another with serious injuries in his legs. The police had barged into the institute and mercilessly beat up the students,” Priyanka told local reporters.

“This is a state-sponsored torture on innocent people,” she said. “I also met the wife of Noor Mohammad, who was killed in police firing. His wife is seven months pregnant and has a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter. She is completely devastated,” Priyanka added.

Priyanka also paid a visit to Rukaiya Parven, whose wedding is scheduled this month.

“The police attacked her and took away her belongings, including many valuables her parents had bought for her marriage,” the Congress leader said.

“It is a horrible scenario. The police attacked peaceful protesters and created violence. We are with the victims and will help them at every level,” she said.