Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has alleged that the Yogi Adityanath government supported the actions of the Uttar Pradesh Police against her when she was stopped from meeting ex-IPS officer SR Darapuri's family members and also manhandled by the cops in Lucknow on Saturday.

Speaking exclusively to India Today TV, Priyanka Gandhi said she was manhandled by Uttar Pradesh Police personnel who also grabbed her by her throat and pushed her when she resisted their attempts to stop her from visiting the house of retired IPS officer SR Darapuri.

Darapuri was arrested in connection with a demonstration against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Lucknow.

Priyanka Gandhi told India Today TV she was going to meet Darapuri's family. She said if the cops surrounded her and grabbed her by her throat, the action must have had the government's support.

When asked categorically if she was deliberately manhandled as she claimed, Priyanka Gandhi said: "Agar police apni gaadi ko hamari gaadi ke saamne roke, mujhe paidal nahi chalne de, mujhe ghere, mera gala pakde, mujhe giraaye, toh sarkaar ki sehmati toh hogi na prashashan ki sahmati toh hogi na. [If the cops stop our vehicle by putting their vehicle in front of it, don't let me walk, surround me, hold my throat, push me, then won't it have support from the government and administration]."

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Police has claimed that Priyanka Gandhi's allegations are false.

In a letter addressed to the Additional Superintendent of Police (Protocol), Dr Archana Singh, Circle Officer Modern Control Room, said, "A number of things (such as manhandling and neck grabbing) are being circulated on the social media, which is completely false. I have discharged my duty with full sincerity."

UP government spokesperson Shalabh Mani Tripathi issued a statement, saying "Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is trying to make the woman police official a scapegoat for her politics. The woman police official discharged her duty today despite the death of one of her family members. She is deeply hurt by these false allegations."

The police have alleged that Priyanka Gandhi departed from her scheduled path and that due to security reasons it had to intervene and ask her where she was headed to.

"I wanted to seek the details of her (Priyanka Gandhi's) destination from the security point of view as to where she wanted to go. However, the party workers refused to share any information," Dr Archana Singh, Circle Officer Modern Control Room, said in her letter.

Asked about the police statement, Priyanka Gandhi said there was no curfew in the area she was in.

"Iska kya matlab hai? Yahan curfew hai kya? Main chaar logon ke saath baith kar market jaa rahi thi ya kahin bhi jaa rahi thi, toh ismein kya problem hai? Maine app sabko nahi bataya ki main wahan jaa rahi hu kyuki main uss family ko disturb nahi karna chah rahi thi [What does it mean? Is there any curfew here? I was going to the market or elsewhere, what is the problem? I did not inform the media about my destination as I did not want to disturb the Darapuri's family]," Priyanka Gandhi said.