New Delhi, Jan 11 (IANS): Taking on the central government, Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi here on Saturday said the new citizenship law (CAA) was discriminatory and divisive, and demanded enquiry into the police excesses on anti-CAA agitators.

A comprehensive high-powered commission should be set up to enquire into incidents connected with the CAA protests and provide justice to the affected people.

"The sinister purpose of the law is clear to every patriotic, tolerant and secular Indian. It's to divide the Indians on religious lines. Thousands of young men and women, especially students, have realised the grave harm the CAA will cause, She said.

Praising protesters, Gandhi said they had taken to the streets braving the cold as well as the police brutalities. "I salute their courage, abiding faith in values of the Constitution, and determination to defend and protect those values. We are inspired by their struggle," the Congress leader said.

Stating that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) must categorically declare that millions of Congress workers will stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of India in their struggle for equality, justice and dignity, she said the situation in some states was alarming and they, like UP and Delhi, were being turned into police states.

"We are appalled by the police excesses and use of brute force in many towns of UP, in Jamia Millia Islamia, in the Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Banaras Hindu University, the Allahabad University, the Delhi University, the Gujarat University, the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru," Gandhi said.