Congress Accuses UP Government of Police Brutality Against NSUI Protesters

The Congress party has accused the Uttar Pradesh government of ordering police to violently suppress a peaceful protest by NSUI students in Varanasi. This demonstration was part of a nationwide campaign to save the MGNREGA program. Congress leaders, including Jairam Ramesh and Priyanka Gandhi, condemned the police's actions and highlighted the government's attempts to silence dissent. The protest aimed to restore workers' rights and challenge the repeal of rural employment laws. The movement is set to continue until February 25, demanding significant changes to employment rights in India.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jan 12, 2026, 08:04 IST

Allegations of Police Violence in Varanasi

On Sunday, the Congress party claimed that the 'Yogi-Modi trouble engine' government in Uttar Pradesh ordered police to violently disperse NSUI protesters peacefully marching in Varanasi as part of their nationwide 'Save MGNREGA' campaign.

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress General Secretary in charge of communications, shared a video clip showing police allegedly pushing and using force against the demonstrators.

In a post on 'X', Ramesh stated that students led by Varun Chaudhary, the national president of NSUI and a young colleague, organized the march in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency of Varanasi.

He accused the government of being so rattled by questions that it resorted to brutal police action against what was a completely peaceful and constitutional democratic protest.

The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) serves as the student wing of the Congress party.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi also criticized the BJP over this incident.

In her post on 'X', she condemned the brutal force and arrests against NSUI students peacefully protesting against the termination of MGNREGA, stating, 'This cowardly act is utterly condemnable.'

She further asserted that the Modi government is stripping millions of workers of their legal right to employment and using force against those who raise their voices. Every Congress worker stands firmly against this injustice, oppression, and tyranny.

On Saturday, Congress launched a 45-day nationwide campaign, 'Save MGNREGA', in opposition to the repeal of the rural employment law from the UPA era, holding press conferences in every district.

The movement, which will continue until February 25, is demanding the repeal of the VB-G Ramji Act and the restoration of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) as a rights-based law, along with the restoration of the right to work and the rights of panchayats.