Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut Friday condemned the way Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was treated by the UP Police when he was on his way to meet Hathras victim's family, and termed it as "gang-rape of democracy". Gandhi was a leader of a prominent political party, Gandhi said, adding that nobody would support the way he was "manhandled" by the police. "We may have differences with the Congress party. He (Rahul Gandhi) can be stopped from going to Hathras citing imposition of section 144, but the way police behaved with him holding his collar...the way he was pushed and then thrown on the ground was highly condemnable," he said.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Trinamool MPs, including Derek O' Brien, Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Pratima Mondal and Mamata Thakur, was stopped by the Uttar Pradesh Police from entering Hathras, where a 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly gangraped two weeks ago and later died in a Delhi hospital, triggering nationwide outrage. Derek O' Brien was also shoved by a Joint Magistrate when he got into an argument with the cops. The MPs had travelled about 200 kms from Delhi and were reportedly stopped around two km from the victim's house. This comes a day after Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were detained by the UP Police while they were on their way to Hathras.
On Thursday, the Allahabad High Court had taken suo motu cognizance of the alleged gangrape and fatal assault and of the Dalit woman, in Hathras and her hurried cremation, while directing senior officials of state government and police, including district administration, to be present at the next hearing on October 12. The court has summoned UP Additional Chief Secretary, Police chief, Additional Director General of Police, Hathras District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police in the case.
In Maharashtra, meanwhile, Congress workers held a demonstration over the detention of the Gandhis and demanded dismissal of the Yogi Adityanath government. Other Opposition leaders also came down heavily on the UP government. While NCP chief Pawar called the "reckless behaviour" of UP Police towards Rahul Gandhi "extremely condemnable", DMK president M K Stalin demanded that UP CM Adityanath apologise for the "inhumane treatment" meted out to Gandhi. Rahul alleged that the police lathicharged and pushed him to the ground.
On Wednesday, following a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath formed a three-member SIT to investigate the incident and asked it to submit a report within seven days. Facing protests and widespread outrage, the state also said it would set up a fast track court to hear the case. Besides, it announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the victim’s family, a government job for a family member, and a house in Hathras city under the State Urban Development Agency.
The Opposition parties, including the Congress, SP, BSP, and AAP, have targeted the government for the alleged “forced cremation” of the victim.
READ | Hathras gangrape: ‘We are Dalits, that’s our sin… We want our children to leave’
The body of the victim was cremated a little after 3 am Wednesday — with her family saying police had forcibly performed the last rites late at night even though they wanted to bring her body home one last time.
The victim was initially admitted to a district hospital 15 days ago with her tongue cut off and spinal cord severely injured, among other serious injuries. She was later shifted to Aligarh hospital for treatment, before moving to Safdarjung Hospital in the national capital. The police said the victim had been dragged into a field and gangraped. She had also been strangled with her dupatta.
A case was registered against eight people on Friday for allegedly violating section 144 of CrPC and protesting near Vigyan Bhawan against the new farm laws, the Hathras gang rape case and the detention of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Delhi Police said. They are members of the Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Congress, the police said. According to the police, the protesters assembled near Vigyan Bhawan and then moved towards the house of BJP president J P Nadda. (PTI)
After the Hathras SP and four other policemen were suspended over the gangrape-murder case of a Dalit woman, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday asked what difference suspending "some pawns" would make and demanded Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's resignation. Tagging Adityanath, Priyanka Gandhi asked what difference would suspending "some pawns" make. "On whose order Hathras victim, her family, was made to suffer. The phone records of Hathras DM and SP should be made public. The chief minister should not back off from his responsibility," the Congress general secretary said in a tweet in Hindi.
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Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday lashed out at Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for displaying political hypocrisy over the horrific alleged rape and killing of a Dalit girl in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh. Addressing a press conference here, Prasad, who is also a senior BJP leader, questioned the brother-sister duos silence over similar horrific crimes in Congress-ruled Rajasthan while kicking up a storm over the incident in UP where the saffron party is in power. (PTI)
Stating that the “suspicious” action of Uttar Pradesh Police in the Hathras incident has “dented” the image of the BJP and the state government, senior BJP leader Uma Bharti Friday requested Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to allow media and politicians to meet the Dalit victim’s family.
Relating herself as his “elder sister”, Bharti described the UP CM as an “administrator with a clean image”. “I request you to allow media persons and other political parties to meet the aggrieved family,” she tweeted while tagging CM Adityanath.
Uttar Pradesh government on Friday suspended Hathras SP Vikrant Vir, CO Ram Shabd, Inspector Dinesh Meena, SI Jagveer Singh and the head constable, who were probing the alleged gangrape and death of a 19-year-old girl in the village. Shamli Vineet Jaiswal will soon take over that charge of SP.
It is time the country starts fighting the "rape epidemic", Bollywood actor Swara Bhaskar said at the protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. "People from different groups are here, this shows how enraged people are against what happened in Hathras, Balrampur, Azamgargh...there is a rape epidemic which has spread in the country, especially the kind of news we are getting from Uttar Pradesh," PTI quoted Bhaskar as saying while addressing the protesters.
Left leaders who gathered at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi included CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, politburo member Brinda Karat and CPI general secretary D Raja among others. They questioned the silence of the Centre over the issue. "The silence of the central government and the top leadership of the BJP on such a heinous crime and the UP government's response thereafter speaks volumes about the authoritarian and anti-democratic 'chehra', 'chaal', 'charitra', and 'chintan' of the ruling party," PTI quoted Yechury as saying. "The Uttar Pradesh government has no right to stay in power. Our demand is that justice should be served," he added.
BJP leader Uma Bharti has requested UP CM Adityanath to let media and political leaders meet the Hathras victim's family. Stating that had she not been Covid positive at this point of time, she herself would have tried to meet the family, she tweeted, "I request you to allow political leaders, mediapersons to meet Hathras victim's family." She said that considering her seniority in BJP, she believes that Adityanath would keep her request. She said although she cannot call anybody, she gets regular update about the Hathras case through television and feels that the way UP Police has held the victim's family "hostage", whatever be the reason behind the act, can trigger fear among many. "Their suspicious action in Hathras case dented your, state govt and BJP's image."
The entry and exit gates of Metro stations, Rajiv Chowk, Janpath and Patel Chowk are now open. The gates had been shut soon after protests broke out at Jantar Mantar.
Stating that it was wrong to conduct the last rites of the Hathras Dalit victim without the consent of the family, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Friday called on everyone to question the government to seek justice for the victim. “Each and every woman of this country should raise her voice against what has happened to the woman in Hathras,” Priyanka said while addressing a prayer meeting for the victim at Delhi’s Maharashi Valmiki temple. “It was wrong to do so without the consent of the family. We need to put pressure on the government to ensure justice for the young Dalit woman,” she said. “Our country does not have a tradition where the father, brother and the family of the victim are not allowed to light the pyre.”
Atishi cited delayed medical treatment and hurried cremation of the victim's body without her family's permission. "Us bachchi ka balatkaar ek baar nahi hua. Us bachchi ka balatkaar UP ke prashasan ne baar baar kiya hai (That girl was not raped once. She was raped repeatedly by the UP administration).
Congress leader Sushmita Dev demanded resignation of UP CM Yogi Adityanath. "When you compare data of Rajasthan and UP, Congress and BJP, there's the problem. It's not about statistics. It's about how we treat crime against women. It's not about my rape and your rape. Every rape is condemnable. Crystal clear that culpability is with the CM. UP CM must resign. When nirbhaya happened everyone demanded Sheila ji's resignation," she said at Jantar Mantar.
Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad, while speaking at Jantar Mantar protest site, said, "The police burnt her (victim's) with petrol even though the family did not give permission. She was burnt like garbage. They have no right to do that."
Yogendra Yadav said that it must not be forgetten that this is a rape of a Dalit woman, and that there were multiple crimes here –– rape, murder and then destruction of evidence. "The body was burnt without the permission of the family. Afterwards, there was a reign of terror against the family, media is barred from entering, and the family is being threatened by the administration. This could not have happened to a woman, who was not Dalit," he said.
Delhi CM Arvind Keriwal said it seems perpetrators in Hathras case are being shielded, this should not happen. He added that the victim's family should be allowed to meet whomever they want and demanded strict action against those responsible for the crime.
Leaders from various political outfits such as Chandrashekhar Azad, Sitaram Yechury, Kanhaiya Kumar, Jignesh Mevani, Sushmita Dev, Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj are present at the protest site at Jantar Mantar. There are demands for Yogi's resignation from all, including AAP. However, Kejriwal did not make this demand.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday joined the protest at Jantar Mantar where civil society activists, women, students and members of various political parties gathered to demand justice for the Hathras gangrape and murder victim. He said strictest punishment should be given to the perpetrators.
Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad joined the protest over Hathras case at Jantar Mantar on Friday. "I will visit Hathras. Our struggle will continue till the time UP CM doesn't resign, & justice is served. I urge SC to take cognizance of the incident," he said.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi attends prayer meeting for Hathras victim at Delhi's Valmiki temple. "Whatever has happened with the woman, her family faced it alone as they did not get any support from the govt. Our country doesn't have a tradition where the father, brother & the family of the victim aren't allowed to light the pyre," Priyanka said.
Civil society activists, women, students and members of various political parties gathered at the New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Friday to demand justice for the Hathras gangrape and murder victim. The protest that was initially supposed to be held at the India Gate, was later shifted to the Jantar Mantar owing to the prohibitory orders in place in the Rajpath area. “What is happening in Uttar Pradesh is goondaraj. The police have surrounded the village, are not allowing opposition leaders and mediapersons to enter it. They have taken away the mobile phones of the family members of the victim,” PTI quoted activist and lawyer Prashant Bhushan as saying.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI leader D Raja take part in a protest against Hathras incident, at Jantar Mantar. "The UP government has no right to stay in power. Our demand is that justice should be served," Yechury said.
A day after a senior UP Police officer claimed that the Hathras Dalit woman was not raped, Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala accused the state BJP government of "conspiring" to prove her a "liar". He alleged that the UP authorities tried to "hush up things and forcibly cremated the victim" in the dead of night against Hindu rituals. 'This in itself was a painful incident," he said, adding that the Yogi Adityanath government should "hang its head in shame". (PTI)
A delegation of Trinamool Congress MPs was Friday stopped from entering Hathrasdistrict in Uttar Pradesh, where they had gone to meet the family of a 19-year-old Dalit woman who was allegedly gangraped and assaulted by upper caste men on September 14 and succumbed to her injuries on September 29.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attends the prayer meet for the victim of Hathras incident, at Maharishi Valmiki Temple.
Restriction on the entry of media into the village will stay till the SIT completes its probe there. Due to the prevailing law & order situation, no political delegations or individuals will be allowed to visit the village, said Hathras Additional SP Prakash Kumar.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said those who harm the honour of women will be given such punishment that will set an example for future. Taking to Twitter, he added that his government is committed towards the safety of the mothers and sisters.
Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad gave a call to assemble at Jantar Mantar at 5 pm on Friday from where they would start marching towards India Gate.
"The police has closed down the entire India Gate, showing dictatorship. But we will not let the demand for justice be weakened. Modi ji will have to answer on the situation of Uttar Pradesh. Friends please reach Jantar Mantar at 5 o'clock, and the march toward India Gate will be taken out from there," Azad tweeted in Hindi.
Samajwadi Party workers were lathi charged by the police in Hazratganj area in Lucknow on Friday while they were taking out a protest march against the Hathras gangrape and farm laws, PTI reported. The march which started from the SP party office was supposed to end at the Gandhi statue in the city. There the MLAs and senior party leaders were scheduled to begin a 'maun vrat' (vow of silence). However, the protesters were stopped at Hazratganj crossing, where police had blocked the road with barricades. As the SP workers insisted on being allowed to move ahead, a heated argument between the two sides followed after which police personnel resorted to lathi charge to disperse the crowd.
The National Commission for Women Thursday asked the Uttar Pradesh Police to explain its “urgency” in cremating the body of the Hathras gang rape victim.
The police had brought the body from Safdarjug Hospital in the National Capital to her village 200 km away, before burning it in the dead of the night.
The victim’s family said the police did not allow them to perform the final rites at their home, besides keeping them away during the cremation.
Surat District Lady Advocate Active Committee Members (SDLAACM) has handed over a memorandum to Surat district collector, on Thursday, seeking CBI probe into the alleged gang-rape of a 19-year-old Dalit woman by four upper caste men in UP’s Hathras, and her death.
The advocates’ body also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take actions against UP government and police, and that the case should be heard in a fast track court, and the accused be hanged to death.
The woman died at 6.55 am on Tuesday at Safdarjung Hospital, where she had been shifted from Aligarh on Monday night as her condition had deteriorated.
West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee strongly condemned the manhandling of Congress MP and former party president Rahul Gandhi by Uttar Pradesh Police on Yamuna Expressway on Thursday and said law and order situation in the country has reached an all-time low.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were stopped by police in Greater Noida while they were marching towards UP’s Hathras to meet the family of a 19-year-old Dalit girl who was gangraped and who later died on Tuesday. Both Rahul and Priyanka were later released.
“A woman was raped and murdered brutally in Uttar Pradesh and the Yogi Adityanath government is busy suppressing facts and shielding the real culprits. The body of the victim was secretly cremated without the family’s consent. Today, protests have erupted in the country against this. Our party leader Rahul ji and Priyanka ji were going to meet the family members to express their solidarity. However, the police in a cowardly act not only stopped them but also attacked them. We wholeheartedly condemn this and there will be protests across the state against this,” said senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Abdul Mannan.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that she was at a loss of words to denounce the “barbaric and shameful” gangrape of a 19-year-old girl at Hathras in Uttar Pradesh. The victim died at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi on Tuesday.
“Have no words to condemn the barbaric & shameful incident at Hathras involving a young Dalit girl. My deepest condolences to the family. More shameful is the forceful cremation without the family’s presence or consent, exposing those who use slogans & lofty promises for votes,” tweeted the CM who is on a three-day trip in north Bengal to hold administrative review meetings.
Later, Banerjee stepped up her attack in Jalpaiguri where she inaugurated the “Pathasree” project, under which 12,000-km road will be built and maintenance of existing roads across the state will be carried out.
TMC MP Pratima Mondal says, "We were sent by Mamata Banerjee to meet the family of the alleged rape victim to offer our condolences. Though we introduced ourselves, we weren't allowed to meet them and were pushed by the police. If they can't respect a woman lawmaker, imagine the condition of commoners."
Bhim Army Chief Chandra Shekhar Azad took to Twitter to say that he will visit India Gate at 5 PM today to protest against the Hathras incident. "Why is PM Modi silent on Hathras' incident? Doesn't the PM know that the UP, because of which, he has reached the House for the second time, the same UP has Hathras as well? Why is he silent on our sister being burned like garbage? We are coming to India Gate at 5 pm today to demand answers to all these questions," he tweeted.
A delegation of Trinamool Congress MPs was Friday stopped from entering Hathrasdistrict in Uttar Pradesh, where they had gone to meet the family of a 19-year-old Dalit woman who was allegedly gangraped and assaulted by upper caste men on September 14 and succumbed to her injuries on September 29.
The party claimed the MPs — Derek O’Brien, Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Pratima Mondal and Mamata Thakur — had been stopped by the Uttar Pradesh police 1.5 kilometres away from the victim’s village. They were hoping to “express solidarity with the grieving family and convey their condolences”, the party said.
“We are peacefully proceeding to Hathras to meet the family and pay our condolences. We are traveling individually and maintaining all protocols. We are not armed. Why are we stopped? What kind of jungle raj is this that elected MPs are prevented from meeting a grieving family,” asked one of the MPs.
TMC MP Mamata Thakur says, "We were going to meet her family but there were not allowing us. When we insisted, the women Police personnel pulled at our blouses and lathi-charged at our MP Pratima Mondal. She fell down. The male Police officers touched her. This is shameful."
TMC delegation being roughed up by Uttar Pradesh Police at Hathras border. The delegation, including Derek O'Brien, was on the way to meet the family of the victim of the Hathras incident.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut says, "Rahul Gandhi is a national political leader. We may have differences with Congress but nobody can support Police's behaviour with him...His collar was caught & he was pushed to the ground, in a way it's gangrape of the country's democracy."
NCP leader Supriya Sule said, "I think UP government wants to hide something. What happened with Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi and Congress workers, and the kind of statements by DM and others, prove that the UP government wants to hide something."
"Three rape cases in UP came to the fore in two days. State's Home Minister and CM haven't spoken anything. I request PM that there should be a detailed inquiry. If the Yogi government is unable to work for women safety in the state, then they should resign," Sule added.
The Hathras incident is very painful and the government's conduct with the victim's family is not right. We are living in democracy and people in power must not forget that they are not owners but 'sevaks' of this country: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
One of the MPs who we’re stopped said, "We are peacefully proceeding to Hathras to meet the family and pay our condolences. We are traveling individually and maintaining all protocols. We are not armed. Why are we stopped? What kind of jungle raj is this that elected MPs are prevented from meeting a grieving family. At this moment, we are just 1.5 kms from the victim's home in Hathras, explaining to police officials that we will walk the 1.5kms to the victim's house in Hathras."
A delegation of Trinamool MPs have been stopped by UP Police from entering Hathras. The delegation had traveled about 200kms from Delhi. The Trinamool MPs were on their way to the village in Hathras, traveling separately, to express solidarity with the grieving family and convey their condolences. The MPs are: Derek O'Brien, Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Pratima Mondal and Mamata Thakur (Ex-MP)
Amid the widespread outrage over the alleged gang-rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras and her forcible cremation subsequently, scores of Ghaziabad lawyers on Thursday demanded imposition of President Rule in Uttar Pradesh. The lawyers demanded the dismissal of the Yogi Adityanath government and imposition of President Rule, saying that the gang-rape of a Dalit woman and her brutalization amid a spate of crime against women in Uttar Pradesh has tarnished the image of the country and would flatten its progress graph.
The lawyers sought imposition of President Rule in a memorandum addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind that they gave to District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey. The agitating lawyers reached the district collectorate in a march from Civil Court under the banner of Adhivakta Sangharsh Samiti. During the march, the lawyers raised anti-government slogans and burnt effigies of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, accusing him of having failed in controlling the ?soaring? crime graph against women in the state. (PTI)
Instead of asking why Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have not visited Baran in Rajasthan, where two girls were allegedly raped, senior BJP leaders should go to the district themselves to know the ground reality, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Friday. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were on Thursday arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police after they were stopped from marching towards Hathras to meet the family of a Dalit woman who was allegedly raped by four men on September 14.
Gehlot claimed that the Uttar Pradesh government wanted to hide things as the opposition leaders were prevented from going to Hathras. "Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi trust our words and reports. Why don't the senior BJP leaders like Amit Shah or Dharmendra Pradhan visit Baran or anywhere in the state to know what actually is the ground reality. We will allow them and if required, police protection will be given to BJP leaders," Gehlot told PTI.
Today, as we stand shaken and humiliated by the brazen inhumanity perpetrated on the most vulnerable of Indians in complete violation of the rule of law, we hope that our judiciary will exercise its immense constitutional power to lead and supervise a free, fair and speedy investigation into the heinous allegation of brutal rape and the completely illegal forced cremation and illegal detention by the UP police. All Indians today need to be reassured that our Constitution, its spirit, and the idea of India it promised to us all, is protected by the bravest and the mightiest, write andita Rao and Iti Pandey.
The Allahabad High Court on Thursday took suo motu cognizance of the fatal assault and alleged gangrape of a Dalit woman in Hathras, especially her hurried cremation, and directed senior officials of the state government and police, including of the district, to be present at the next hearing on October 12.
A two-judge Bench said family members of the deceased would also be present that day so that the court could hear their version of the cremation organised by the police in the middle of the night, and wondered if the authorities acted thus because of their economic status. It also said that it would decide “as to the necessity of monitoring the investigation or getting it conducted through an independent agency as per law”.
The Bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Jaspreet Singh, that quoted extensively from a report by The Indian Express that appeared on Thursday, said that while four accused had been arrested and an SIT set up to probe the matter, “However, for the moment, we are concerned with what has happened thereafter. The incidents which took place after the death of the victim on 29.09.2020 leading up to her cremation, as alleged, have shocked our conscience, therefore, we are taking suo moto cognizance of the same.”
Hitting the streets for the first time since the Covid-19 lockdown was imposed in March, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were prevented Thursday from going to the village of the Hathras Dalit teenager, who died after she was brutally assaulted and allegedly gangraped by upper caste men. Their cavalcade was stopped en route, after which they began to walk, only to be arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
Dramatic visuals of Rahul walking with over a hundred party workers, falling during a scuffle with police personnel, and both him and Priyanka — the Congress general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh — being taken away in a police vehicle were a strong signal, meant for both the ranks of the grand old party and others, who have been urging the Gandhis to take on a more hands-on role.
The UP Police offered them that opportunity on a platter on Thursday. Several opposition leaders rallied behind the Gandhis, and slammed the state government, even as the BJP called it a photo-op.
Police on Thursday resorted to lathicharge as Samajwadi Party workers gathered to protest against the Hathras case, at Hazaratganj. (Express photo/Vishal Srivastava)Delhi Police on Thursday said that no gathering is allowed around India Gate due to imposition of Section 144 CrPC. They also said that gathering of up to 100 people is permissible at Jantar Mantar and that too with prior permission of the competent authority.“The general public is hereby informed that in view of DDMA order dated 03.09.2020 a total gathering up to 100 persons is permissible at the designated place i.e. Jantar Mantar and that too with prior permission of the competent authority.“No gathering is permissible around India Gate due to imposition of Section 144 CrPC,” New Delhi DCP Eish Singhal tweeted.
Thursday staged a protest here against the alleged gang-rape and death of a Dalit woman in Hathras and demanded Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths resignation. The Delhi-based party criticised the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over the midnight cremation of the victim.
"The body of the woman was cremated in the dark. The family was not allowed to conduct final rites in a bid to wipe out evidencethe chief minister has to resign immediately and the matter has to be probed by a Supreme Court judge, AAPs national spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon said in a statement released after the protest.
Amid the nationwide outrage over the brutal incident, a senior Uttar Pradesh police officer on Thursday said that the forensic report has revealed that the 19-year-old Hathras woman, who succumbed to her injuries at a Delhi hospital, was not raped.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday asked why the Uttar Pradesh government tried to stop someone who wanted to meet the Hathras rape victim's family. He also wondered why the "media" is not asking any questions to the BJP government in the northern state. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and around 150 party workers were briefly detained in Greater Noida on Thursday while walking towards Hathras to meet the Dalit rape victim's family.
"Why someone going to visit the family is being stopped and manhandled? What is the government scared of?" Thackeray asked, speaking to reporters here.
"Why are the people who scream at the top of their voice if anything happens in Maharashtra silent now? Why is the media not asking questions to the Uttar Pradesh government," he further said. (PTI)
UP police have filed an FIR against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi under IPC sections of disobedience, negligent act likely to spread infection, and the Epidemic Diseases Act.
Upset with the alleged gang-rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh and her forcible cremation subsequently, a Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Thursday summoned top government officials to the court. A bench of justices Rajan Roy and Jaspreet Singh issued summons to the Uttar Pradesh additional chief secretary, director general of police and additional director general of police, asking them to be present before the court on October 12 explain the case.
Taking suo moto cognisance of the September 14 gang-rape and subsequent death of the teenager, the bench also ordered the Hathras district magistrate and senior superintendent of police to appear before it. The bench asked all officials to come prepared with all the relevant material and documents to apprise the court of their versions of the incident.
The court, which appeared especially upset over the police cremating the teen's body overnight allegedly forcibly in Hathras without her parent's consent, also asked officials to apprise the bench of the latest status of the probe into the alleged gang-rape and murder case.
DMK president M K Stalin on Thursday demanded that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath apologise for the alleged inhumane treatment meted out to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by police while Congress party's Tamil Nadu unit staged protests.
Anarchy and unruliness governed Uttar Pradesh, it appeared and not rule of law, Stalin alleged reacting to the crimes against women there and police stopping Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra amid melee.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri staged a protest here to condemn the detention of Rahul Gandhi by police to stop him from going towards Hathras in Uttar Pradesh.
A day after the death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman, who was allegedly gang-raped by four upper-caste men in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said such incidents will not be tolerated in Maharashtra.
“What happened in Uttar Pradesh will not be tolerated in Maharashtra. Stern action should be taken against those indulging in the crimes against women,” Thackeray said, adding that a message should be sent out so that nobody could dare to commit such crime against women in the state.
The CM added that police should crack down on hooligans and there should be fear about police among those indulging in such acts.
Former Prime Minister H D Dev Gowda on Thursday asked the Uttar Pradesh government t immediately release Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyank Gandhi. "The UP government should treat INC India senior leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and others with great care and caution," Deve Gowda said in a tweet.
He said the Congress leaders were fighting for just cause and protest was a democratic right. "They should be released immediately," Gowda said. (PTI)
Activist Medha Patkar participated in a protest outside the District Collector Office in Pune over Hathras incident. (Express photo by Pavan Khengre)
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday condemned the action of the police and the BJP government in UP for allegedly manhandling, detaining and preventing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from proceeding to meet a rape victim's family in that state.
"Rahul Gandhi has all the democratic right and constitutional freedom to go to Hathras. Preventing him from going to meet the victim's family was against all democratic principles.
"This cannot be allowed by a democratic community and was highly condemnable," Vijayan said. (PTI)
Maharashtra Congress workers on Thursday held a demonstration here over detention of their leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The demonstration was held at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi near Mantralaya (state secretariat) in south Mumbai.
State revenue minister and Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat said his party would continue to fight till the victim's kin get justice. "The Congress will not be cowed down by pressure tactics. Today's incident proves that there is no rule of law but a jungle raj in Uttar Pradesh," Thorat said.
"The Uttar Pradesh government was trying to shield the accused and hence it stopped Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary in-charge of UP Priyanka GandhiVadra from meeting the family," he said. (PTI)
DMK president M K Stalin on Thursday demanded that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath apologise for the alleged inhumane treatment meted out to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by police.
Anarchy and unruliness governed Uttar Pradesh, it appeared and not rule of law, he alleged reacting to the crimes against women there and police stopping Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra amid melee. When Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka were on their way to meet a rape victim's family they were prevented from going ahead and Uttar Pradesh police unleashed the worst kind of force against Rahul and pushed him to the ground, Stalin claimed. (PTI)
Azad Samaj Party chief and Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar Azad on Thursday demanded President's Rule in Uttar Pradesh, alleging failure of constitutional machinery in the state over crimes against Dalits.
Azad said he has started a "dharna" at his home in Saharanpur where he is put under a "house arrest", which was ordered by the local police on Wednesday.
"I am sitting at my house on a dharna, injustice will not be tolerated. In Uttar Pradesh, Dalits are being meted out with injustice. The DM and the SSP of Hathras who have been protecting criminals and performing inhuman acts have not been removed yet. How can one expect justice from such unworthy people," he said in a tweet in Hindi. (PTI)