Gandhis meet Hathras victim’s kin, to fight on
UPorders CBI probe, family wants judicial investigation
In what could be their ‘Belchi’ moment, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday capped a daylong struggle by meeting the family of the 19-year old Dalit girl in Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, who was allegedly gangraped and later died at Delhi’s Safdurjang hospital. The victim was cremated without the family’s permission on the night of her death.
In the morning, the UP police turned the NoidaDelhi border at the DND flyover into a virtual fortress. Hundreds of workers from the Congress’ frontal organisations like Mahila Congress, around 35 MPs and top Congress leaders assembled at the border.
At around noon, Priyanka Gandhi drove her brother to the spot and an argument ensued with the police.
There were many skirmishes between Congress workers and police, followed by a mild lathicharge.
Priyanka Gandhi was seen jumping in to save a Congress worker. The visual shared widely on social media by the party could haunt the Yogi Adityanath government and possibly the BJP.
There were comparisons of Saturday’s visit with the 1977 visit of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on foot and on an elephant to Bihar’s Belchi, the site of a Dalit massacre. The incident is largely credited with having brought Mrs Gandhi, who was out of power then, to the political forefront again.
At the DND flyover, the Gandhis were informed that they could proceed to Hathras in a small group. The Gandhis left along with senior leaders K.C. Venugopal, Mukul Wasnik and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary.
However, a cavalcade followed.
During the nearly 45minute long meeting of the Gandhis with the family, Priyanka sat with the mother and aunts of the victim and consoled them while Rahul spoke with the brothers and the father.
Mr Gandhi asked the family whether they wanted a CBI probe to which the kin said they would prefer a judicial investigation instead.
Mr Gandhi said, “no power on earth” can stop the voice of this family. Later, on Twitter, he said the Uttar Pradesh government will not be able to have its way as the entire country has now risen for justice to “this daughter of the nation”.
Minutes after the Gandhis wrapped up their visit, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recommended a CBI probe into the incident.
Before that, Uttar Pradesh additional chief secretary (home) Awanish Awasthi and Director General of Police H.C. Awasthi met the family. The authorities also allowed the media to enter the village.