Hathras Case, Protests HIGHLIGHTS: ‘Filthy RSS mentality’, says Rahul Gandhi on BJP MLA’s ‘sanskaar’ remarks

Shiv Sena leader Neelam Gorhe on Sunday expressed shock over the way the family of the Hathras gangrape and murder victim was being treated and Uttar Pradesh police had “manhandled” Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on her way to Hathras on Saturday. Read More

Chhattisgarh minister and Congress leader Shivkumar Dahariya has termed the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl in the state's Balrampur district as a "small" incident while talking about the Hathras case. After the BJP criticised Dahariya and the Congress for the comments, the minister said that his remarks were "misconstrued". --PTI

Reacting to BJP MLA Surendra Singh's comments stressing on teaching the daughters good values in order to prevent rapes, Rahul Gandhi said, "This is the filthy RSS male chauvinist mentality at work. Men do the raping but women need to be taught good values."This is the filthy RSS male chauvinist mentality at work. Men do the raping but women need to be taught good values.https://t.co/IfkRJw2IYD— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 4, 2020

A Samajwadi Party delegation on Sunday met the family of the 19-year-old woman who died after she was assaulted and allegedly gang-raped in Hathras, and assured them of all possible help. Earlier, the party had alleged that its delegation members were stopped briefly at a toll plaza near Agra by police at the behest of the government when they were on their way to meet the family. "This forcible stoppage is a murder of democracy.... Samajwadi(s) will stand with the aggrieved family in their fight for justice," the party tweeted in Hindi. --PTI

Trade union organisations affiliated with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) on Sunday held a protest demonstration here against the alleged gang-rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh. Carrying placards and banners, the protesters held the demonstration at Press Enclave here and raised slogans against the perpetrators of the heinous crime, a CITU spokesperson said. He said the burial of the alleged gang-rape victim in Hathras without her family's consent was a blatant denial of justice. --PTI

Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Sunday met the kin of the alleged gangrape victim in Hathras and demanded Y-category security for them. "I demand 'Y security' for the family or I'll take them to my house, they aren't safe here. We want an inquiry to be done under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge," ANI quoted him as saying.

Around 700-800 people held a caste-based meeting at the residence of former BJP MLA Rajvir Singh Pehalvan in Hathras on Sunday on the issue the Dalit woman's alleged rape and death, PTI reported. The meeting was held a day after UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a CBI investigation into the case. Heavy police force was deployed in the vicinity of the former BJP MLA's house, located around 8-9 kilometres from the victim's village.

Pehalvan's son Manveer Singh, who was one of the organisers of the meeting, however, denied that the gathering comprised members from the so-called upper castes and said they were from "different sections of society". "We welcome the CBI inquiry ordered by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister. We have faith in the investigation," Singh told PTI while claiming that the victim's family members were "changing their stand". "The entire scenario has been created to blame the government. The accused persons are in favour of any type of inquiry. But the victims are changing their stand every now and then. They do not want a narco test or a CBI probe. Now they want other kinds of inquiries," PTI quoted him as saying.

The Rajasthan Congress Committee will hold a two-hour silent protest on Monday against the alleged gangrape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras. "The Congress party will hold a 'maun satyagraha' at district headquarters level from 10 am to 12 am on Monday in protest against the incident of Hathras, Uttar Pradesh," PCC president Govind Singh Dotasra said on Sunday. The party will hold the protest to seek justice for the victim's family, he said. --PTI

Hathras Sadar SDM Prakash Meena said that five of SP and RLD workers were allowed inside the village. Later others started misbehaving with women personnel and broke barricades. "A delegation of not more than 5 people are allowed inside the village. Delegations of Samajwadi Party & Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) came in, we got 5 names listed & allowed them to go there. Eventually their workers started misbehaving with women personnel. They broke the barricadding & pelted stones. One of our COs has been injured. To disperse the crowd we had to use minor force. Situation is under control," he said.

The upper caste men of the village are still at the spot. They are holding a meeting in favour of the accused. (Express Photo: Jignasa Sinha)

Samajwadi Party workers protest in Hathras village on Sunday. (Express photo/Jignasa Sinha)

Rashtiya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary today met the kin of the alleged gangrape victim in Hathras.

In a remark that is likely to stoke controversy, BJP MLA Surendra Singh on Saturday said that rape cases in the country can be prevented only with “sanskaar” (culture and values) and not with “shasan” (governance) or “talwar” (sword). His remarks came at a time when the alleged gangrape and death of a woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras village has sparked nationwide protests, prompting the Yogi Adityanath government to hand over the case to the CBI. While responding to Shiv Sena’s “Jungle Raj, not Ram Rajya” remark, the MLA said: “I am also a teacher besides a legislator. Such incidents can only be stopped with the help of good values and not governance and violence. Parents should ensure to instill good values in their young daughters.”

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi said: "UP government is trying to hide what happened there (in Hathras). The funeral by the police and attack on journalists is strongly condemnable. Moreover, the political leaders who are going there are also being attacked."

Several men belonging to the Upper Caste today staged a demonstration in support of the accused. Samajwadi Party workers, who were protesting against this group, were lathicharged and dismissed by the cops.

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad was stopped by the cops while he was on his way to Hathras today. He, along with his followers, are now marching towards the village.

The DMK Women's Wing led by its chief Kanimozhi will hold a candle light march towards the Raj Bhavan in Chennai on Monday, seeking justice for the Hathras victim, the party said on Sunday. DMK President M K Stalin alleged that the safety of minorities, woman and the members of SC/ST community in Uttar Pradesh was "generally a question mark." "The media is also feeling a lack of safety. The Centre has a duty to address this and ensure the safety of all," Stalin said in a statement. "The DMK Women's Wing has proposed to take out a march to the Raj Bhavan insisting on this," he said, adding, Kanimozhi, Lok Sabha MP, will lead the protest.

A medical team today arrived at the residence of the Hathras victim, on the request of Special Invesigation Team (SIT), after her father's health deteriorated, news agency ANI reported.

Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal today visited the alleged gangrape incident site in Hathras village.

A day after she visited the kin of the deceased, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted: "According to the kin of the Hathras victim, the worst treatment was meted out by the district magistrate. Who is saving him? He should be probed. The family is asking for a judicial enquiry, why is the case then being handed over to the CBI and looked into by the SIT? If the government has woken up from its sleep, then it should start listening to the family." 

Navneet Sehgal, the 1988-batch IAS officer given additional charge of the state Information Department as Additional Chief Secretary in the latest bureaucratic reshuffle in the state this week, is no stranger to being close to power and serving on relative sidelines under a new government. Apparently brought in by the state government, which is facing fire over the Hathras death and alleged gangrape case, to firefight the crisis, Sehgal played similar roles under two previous governments. Known for his “network” in bureaucratic circles, not just within UP or in other states but even abroad, Sehgal comes from Chandigarh and is also a chartered accountant. Click here to read more.

Taking to Twiitter, BSP supremo Mayawati said: "The kin of the Hathras victim has made many serious allegations against the district magistrate of the district, yet the secret silence of the UP government is sad and very worrying. Although the government has agreed to a CBI inquiry, how can you ensure a fair probe with the district magistrate still there. People are apprehensive." 

The SHIV Sena on Saturday came down heavily on the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government over its handling of the alleged gangrape and murder case of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras. An editorial in the party’s mouthpiece Saamana said while Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh was akin to a “Jungle Raj” instead of the promised “Ram Rajya” (ideal governance). Neither UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath nor the Centre felt any remorse over what transpired, the editorial stated. Click here to read more. 

The Left and Congress have decided to hold statewide protests on October 6 against the Hathras incident, besides incidents of rape and murder in West Bengal. A mega rally will be held in Kolkata, while similar programmes will also be held in the other districts, according to a statement issued by Left Front Chairman Biman Bose and Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan of the Congress. The rally in the capital city will begin at Esplanade and go through the Park Street to end near the Lady Brabourne College, it said. "Apart from the ghastly incident at Hathras in UP, we need to raise our voice against the rise in incidents of rape and murder of women in West Bengal," it said.

Pranali Yengde, first generation Dalit woman journalist, writes: "When I see as a woman, the scope of my view towards rape and allied crimes is limited. It’s merely psychological. However, being a Dalit woman, my understanding and relation to it goes much deeper. Attack on a Dalit woman from rural parts of India becomes an attack on myself. Her pain becomes my pain. My identity as a Dalit woman makes me a victim of a social construct that encourages the use of rape as a tool to punish and silence Dalits." Click here to read more.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has said it would look into the tweet by BJP IT head Amit Malviya sharing a video of the 19-year-old Hathras Dalit woman who died after she was brutally assaulted and allegedly gangraped. Asked about the tweet, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma told The Sunday Express: “If she is a rape victim, then the incident of tweeting the video is really very unfortunate and is also absolutely illegal.” Under Indian Penal Code provisions, anyone who reveals the identity of a person who is a victim of sexual assault or suspected to be one can be imprisoned for up to two years. Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Women Vimla Batham also told The Sunday Express that she had not seen the video, but if it disclosed the woman’s identity, it was “definitely objectionable” and the commission would take cognizance and serve Malviya a notice. Click here to read more.

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Sunday will visit the family of the 19-year-old woman who died after she was allegedly gang raped and brutally assaulted last week. “He is on his way to Hathras and is expected to reach by 12 pm,” a member of the group confirmed to The Indian Express.

A visit by two senior officers on Saturday followed lifting of the blockade around the village, imposed following the cremation of the 19-year-old around 3 am on Wednesday organised by the police. Asked about the cremation during his visit, DGP Awasthi told the media, “That’s why this action (the setting up of an SIT) has been taken.”

"The reason why the Hathras story has shaken us so deeply is because it has become a mirror in which we see the flaws of Indian democracy, and the sight is frightening. We see that the men in charge of enforcing the law have not discovered yet that their fundamental duty is to protect the people and not the government. They do not understand this because neither the training of the police nor that of the administrative service has changed since the British left. The British set up a system that was founded on the colonial idea that the duty of administrators and law enforcement officials was to protect the government. This is exactly what our officials still do," writes Tavleen Singh. Read more here.

For the past five days, an entourage of media and police have been thronging the narrow dirt lane leading to the 19-year-old’s house in Hathras. From the verandah of a house across this road, a few women, all relatives of the accused, peer out every now and then to catch a glimpse of the crowd. As demands for justice for the 19-year-old grow, and a day after a UP government spokesperson said polygraph and narco tests would be conducted on the accused, the victim’s relatives and even police officers involved in the probe, families of the accused say they want a fair trial. While three of the accused, Sandeep (20), his uncle Ravi (35), and Ramu (27) are related, the fourth accused, Luv Kush (19), is Sandeep’s friend. All four men are Shikhawat Thakurs whose families have been into agriculture for many generations. The farmers of the village mostly grow paddy and bajra. Click here to read more. 

The Left Front and Congress parties organised a rally in Kolkata on Saturday to protest the murder and alleged gangrape of a Dalit woman in Hathras.

Supporters of several political outfits, including Students’ Federation of India, All India Students’ Union and All India Progressive Women’s Association took part in the rally that started at Moulali and culminated at Esplanade. They carried placards with slogans such as “Defeat fascist BJP at Centre and TMC in Bengal” and “Down with fascists who throttle democracy”.

The protesters broke police barricades near Esplanade Metro Channel and raised slogans demanding justice for the Hathras victim. They also protested against the increasing incidents of rape and crime against women in West Bengal.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who were on Thursday stopped en route to Hathras to meet the 19-year-old woman’s family, managed to reach the village on Saturday and spent an hour at their residence.

“She (Priyanka) sat with me, asked me about my daughter, how she died, what happened on September 14…. She asked about her cremation,” the victim’s mother said after the Congress leaders left. “They just asked us about our daughter, and promised to help us get justice.”

Social activist Yogita Bhayana, who was with the family when the two leaders met them, told The Sunday Express, “They asked the family whether they wanted a CBI inquiry, to which the family said no. They offered their condolences to the family and extended their support.”

As the two leaders reached the family’s residence, more than 50 UP Police personnel and joint magistrate Prem Prakash Meena were present. The victim’s brother told The Sunday Express, “They reassured us help; they said they will do what they can.” 

A doctor who conducted the medicolegal investigation on the 19-year-old Hathras woman at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Aligarh Muslim University on September 22 had given a “provisional opinion” that “on the basis of local examination, I am of the opinion that there are signs of use of force”, reports show.

The doctor had added: “However, opinion regarding penetrative intercourse is reserved pending availability of FSL reports.” The report also mentions, based on details provided by the woman, that there was “complete” “penetration by penis” of the “vagina”.

After meeting the Hathras victim's family, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Saturday listed their demands which included a judicial inquiry through the Supreme Court and suspension of the district magistrate.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi met the family and declared that they will fight for ensuring justice to the Dalit woman who died after being allegedly gang-raped. In a series of tweets, Priyanka Gandhi listed some of the demands and questions of the victim's family.

"Questions of Hathras victim's family -- 1. A judicial probe be conducted through the Supreme Court. 2. Hathras DM be suspended and not given a big post. Why our daughter's body was burnt using petrol without our permission. "4. Why we are being repeatedly misled and threatened. 5. We brought 'flowers' from the funeral pyre, but how do we believe that this dead body is that of our daughter?" Priyanka Gandhi tweeted in Hindi.

"Incidents like these can be stopped with the help of good values. All parents should teach their daughters good values. It's only the combination of govt & good values that can make our country beautiful," Surendra Singh, BJP MLA from Ballia said on the Hathras case.

The crime in Hathras was heinous. But what has followed in its wake, the hurried cremation by the police in the dark, the denial of the family’s right to perform the last rites, followed by boorish police action to prevent anyone, including Opposition leaders of the Congress and TMC, from reaching the young woman’s family, has added up to a sordid spectacle that should deeply embarrass the Yogi Adityanath regime in UP. Read here

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said he met the family of the Hathras victim and assured them their support. The whole country is standing behind the victim to assure her justice, he said.

The Shiv Sena on Saturday hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government over the Hathras incident, saying that "jungle raj" prevails in Uttar Pradesh even as foundation stone for Ram temple has been laid at Ayodhya in the state.

The ruling party in Maharashtra has also written to President Ram Nath Kovind demanding security by CRPF personnel for the kin of the victim, alleging they are "held captive and being threatened by officials, denying them free speech and movement", a party leader said.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. But there is no 'Ram rajya' (ideal governance) in Uttar Pradesh. 'Jungle raj' is prevailing in UP in terms of the law and order situation," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday evening met the family of the Hathras victim. Speaking to reporters, Rahul Gandhi said no power can stifle the voice of the family.

(Express Photo)

(Express Photo)

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday sought a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry into the Hathras incident in Uttar Pradesh. Badal, who had recently snapped ties with the BJP-led NDA, accused the Uttar Pradesh government of discriminating against the victim's family by "forcibly conducting" her last rites.

"Even as the SAD condemns this action, we demand dismissal of all police and civil officers responsible for this heinous act. Transfers and suspension are not enough. An example must be set or else Dalits will lose faith in the government," he said here.

The Shiromani Akali Dal had quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the new farm laws, the third major party to walk out of the BJP-led coalition in the last couple of years.

The opposition has attacked the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the death and alleged gangrape of the 19-year-old woman in Hathras and its handling of the case. (PTI)

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath Saturday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe into the death of a Dalit woman who was brutally assaulted and allegedly gangraped by four upper caste men in Hathras.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have left for Delhi after meeting the family of a Dalit woman who died after she was assaulted and allegedly gangraped by four upper caste men in Hathras."The family couldn't see their daughter for the one last time. UP CM Yogi Adityanath should understand his responsibility. Till the time justice is delivered, we'll continue this fight," Congress' Priyanka Gandhi Vadra told reporters after meeting the family. Congress leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra after meeting the family of the victim (Express Photo by Amil Bhatnagar)

Rahul Gandhi said no power can stifle the voice of the family. (Express Photo by Somya Lakhani)

Congress and Samajwadi Party workers protested against the alleged gang-rape of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras, raising anti-government slogans before Union Minister Smriti Irani in Varanasi on Saturday. Congress workers raised the slogans and tried to block Irani's cavalcade demanding justice for the woman's family.

Speaking in Lucknow, Congress spokesman Lalan Kumar said the protesting party workers were later arrested. The Union minister is in Varanasi to hold a dialogue with farmers and agriculture scientists.

She also faced a similar protest by workers of SP's women's wing as soon as she reached the venue. Later, Irani called the SP workers and assured them that everyone would be heard.

Speaking to media persons, she alleged that the Opposition is merely indulging in politics on the issue.

When asked about the last rites of the victim being performed in the dead of night, she said, "I do not interfere in the working of the Women's Commission but they have told me that they have been taking up the issue from the very first day with the district administration and government so that justice can be ensured to the victim."

The Shiv Sena on Saturday hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government over the Hathras incident, saying that "jungle raj" prevails in Uttar Pradesh even as foundation stone for Ram temple has been laid at Ayodhya in the state. The ruling party in Maharashtra has also written to President Ram Nath Kovind demanding security by CRPF personnel for the kin of the victim, alleging they are "held captive and being threatened by officials, denying them free speech and movement", a party leader said. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. But there is no 'Ram rajya' (ideal governance) in Uttar Pradesh. 'Jungle raj' is prevailing in UP in terms of the law and order situation," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

Earlier today, Scuffle broke out between Police and Congress workers at Delhi-Noida flyway. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were also present.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi have reached Hathras victim's home.

The delegation led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has arrived in Hathras Village. A total of five people were allowed to enter Harthras, earlier today.

Rahul Gandi arrives to meet the family of the victim (Express Photo by Amil Bhatnagar)

Samajwadi Party workers, including its youth wing vice president Gaurav Jain and district media in-charge Sajid Hasan, were booked for violation of prohibitory orders in Civil Lines area here, police said on Saturday. They demonstrated and burned an effigy representing the Uttar Pradesh government in protest against the death of a Dalit woman from Hathras on Friday evening, SHO D K Tyagi said.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) will look into all issues raised by the family of the 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras, and the strictest action will be taken against those responsible, PTI reported Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Awanish Awasthi, said Saturday after meeting the victim's family.

A decision has also been taken for providing security permanently in the village, the senior officer, who along with DGP H C Awasthy rushed to meet the 19-year-old victim's family on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's order, said. He said the orders for the suspension of police personnel, including the Superintendent of Police and the Circle Officer of the area, were issued on Friday within two hours of receiving the first report from the SIT.

Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Saturday said there should not be any politics in the name of atrocities on Dalits which he claimed to have been going on during successive governments in Uttar Pradesh. "What has happened in Hathras is most terrible. The incident of rape on a Dalit girl is a very serious issue," he said.

Athawale, who said he will be meeting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, stated, "On the Hathras case, I have to say that there should not be politics in the name of atrocities on Dalits. It is not right to propagate about atrocities on Dalits during Yogi government." "It is right that atrocities are taking place but it had been so during the Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati and Akhilesh (Yadav) governments also," he added. Backing CM Adityanath on the steps taken by him in the case, the Union minister said the manner in which the woman's body was cremated was wrong and he would be taking up the issue of action on other officials.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamat Banerjee on Saturday took out a rally in the city in protes against the Hathras gang rape case in Uttar Pradesh The march began at the Birla Planetarium and ende at the Gandhi statue at Mayo Road, about 2 km away She had hit out at the BJP government in Utta Pradesh on Thursday and said just as Goddess Sita had to g through 'Agni Pariksha' in the Ramayana after being abducte by King Ravana, the Dalit woman who died after being allegedl gang-raped and brutalised in Hathras was cremated in the dea of the night.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are on their way to Hathras. They are joined by KC Venugopal, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury and Kamal Kishore. 

Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu on Saturday said he had been put under house arrest in order to 'stop' him from going to Hathras and fight for justice for the Dalit woman who died after she was assaulted and allegedly gang-raped. Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi alleged that the step had been taken to prevent Lallu from joining party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who are again headed towards Hathras in another effort to meet the family of the victim. 'I'm under house arrest. I am being treated as a criminal,' Lallu told PTI.

'This is only to stop me from going to Hathras and fight for justice for the gang-rape victim.' 'This shows how scared this government is. Is it wrong to fight for the victim or meet the family members?' he asked. The state Congress said Lallu, district heads and more than 500 workers had been placed under house arrest. 'Yogi ji, don't stop those who fight for justice. Stop the crimes,' it tweeted.

According to Lallu, police came to his house in Lucknow around 1.30 am and started banging on the door. He was handed over a notice that a case has been filed against him at the Hazratganj police station and he has to appear next Friday.

According to Noida Police, Rahul Gandhi, four other Congress representatives will be allowed to proceed to Hathras, PTI reported. The Congress leaders have reached the Delhi-Noida-flyway and are proceeding towards the toll to enroute Hathras. 

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have arrived at the Delhi-Noida flyway. Negotiations are ongoing for their permission to visit Hathras, said Additional DCP central noida police.  

A group of Congress workers head towards the DND toll as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reach the flyway.

Express Photo: Ananya Tiwari

Meanwhile, in Agra, scores of Valmiki community members who were protesting against the Hathras incident clashed with the police here on Saturday. The protesters pelted stones at the policemen and official vehicles. Police personnel were deployed at the clash site outside a municipal corporation office in Kothi Meena Bazaar area of the Taj city, officials said. Some visuals purportedly showed that thee Valmiki community members from Rajnagar in Lohamandi reached the municipal corporation office and pelted stones at the civic body's garbage collection vehicles at around 12 noon. Later, dozens of policemen, some of them in anti-riot gears, reached the site and the agitated crowd started pelting stones at them, too, even as traffic on the road remained obstructed during the clash, they showed.(PTI)

Heavy police deployment has come up on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border in Noida.  Barricades were installed at the Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway, where scores of policemen, including senior officers, were present in anti-riot gears since noon, even as CrPC section 144 remained imposed in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar.  

Source: INC/Twitter  

Express Photo by Ananya Tiwari 

As protest intensifies, Congress MPs march towards Hathras.