Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has alleged that he was pushed to the ground and lathicharged when he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were marching towards Hathras to meet the family of the gang-rape victim after their convoy was stopped at the highway between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
The 19-year-old girl succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday night and her ‘dead-of-night’ has cremation have sparked nationwide protests. The Gandhis, along with other Congress volunteers, sat on road after Uttar Pradesh police refused to let them continue to Hathras. Gandhis’ SUV had crossed the border, but their convoy was stopped at Greater Noida, which is about 142 km from Hathras.
Rahul Gandhi, targeting Prime Minister Modi said, “Just now police pushed me, lathicharged me and threw me to the ground. I want to ask, can only Modi Ji walk in this country? Can’t a normal person walk? Our vehicle was stopped, so we started walking.”
The UP administration has put a ban on all large gathering and set up barricades at the border ahead of the Congress leaders visit. The district administration in Hathras has imposed Section 144 in the area and has banned the entry of all ‘outsiders’ including mediapersons in the Boolgarhi village where the 19-year-old Dalit girl was gang-raped and has succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday late evening Safdarjung hospital in Delhi.
The victim had suffered multiple fractures, paralysis and had difficulties in breathing due to a neck injury suffered in the assault. The police have also said that there was a gash in her tongue as she had bitten it when then four assaulters tried to strangle her.
The incident has triggered massive public anger and the Yogi Adityanath led UP government has come under severe attack from the opposition over the recent spurt in crimes against women.