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Hathras, Balrampur gangrape cases News: The Uttar Pradesh police have registered case against Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and others under Sec 188, 269 and 270 of IPC and under provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act for violating lockdown rules while marching to Hathras, say reports. Earlier in the day, a Congress convoy heading to Hathras was stopped and the Gandhis were briefly detained before being sent back to Delhi. Referring to UP Police’s comments in the Hathras case, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said that no semen didn’t mean no rape and drew attention towards the 2103 amendments to IPC section 375, which stipulate that penetration is not required to prove sexual assault. Meanwhile, BJP MP Kirit Solanki, who heads the parliamentary panel on on the welfare of SCs/STs said the panel would take serious cognisance of the incident. The Congress on Thursday held protests in Delhi, Uttar Pardesh as well as in Tamil Nadu over the Hathras gangrape incident. Meanwhile, Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar Azad demanded President’s Rule in Uttar Pradesh, alleging failure of constitutional machinery in the state over crimes against Dalits. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who were detained by the UP Police while on the way to meet Hathras victim’s family, have now been released and are being escorted back to Delhi. Activists and journalists on Twitter raised questions on the rush to cremate the Hathras victim after Uttar Pradesh police claimed that the teen had died of neck injuries and there was no evidence of rape. Some journalists raised questions over media personnel not being allowed to visit Hathras. Meanwhile, marches were taken out by Dalit organisations and social outfits at many places in Haryana, including Kaithal, Yamunanagar, Fatehabad and Rohtak, with some demanding capital punishment for the rapists. According to the postmortem report, the 19-year-old Dalit woman died due to neck injuries. Speaking to the media, Uttar Pradesh ADG (Law and order) Prashant Kumar said that forensic report found no sperm in samples “making it clear that some people twisted the matter to stir caste-based tension. Such people will be identified & legal action will be taken.” Earlier Rahul Gandhi has been arrested for defying a ban on large gatherings as he and his sister Priyanka headed to Hathras. Section 144 was imposed in the district earlier today. Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi sat on the road with hundreds of Congress supporters after the Uttar Pradesh police refused to let them continue their march to meet the Hathras gangrape victim’s family As per reports, after the Congress leader’s convoy was stopped on the Yamuna Expressway, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi have begun marching towards Hathras to meet with the victim’s family According to reports, Congress leaders may find it tough to enter Hathras as the admin has imposed Section 144, putting up barricades, and sealing the borders citing the coronavirus precautions. Amid the widespread outrage over the alleged gang-rape and murder of a Dalit teen from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, an yet another scheduled caste woman died in Balrampur district of the state while being rushed to a hospital after her rape by two youths. Balrampur Superintendent of Police Dev Ranjan Verma said the incident happened in the Gaisari area of the district, where a 22-year-old Dalit woman, working in a private firm, failed to return home in time on Tuesday evening, prompting her parents to start looking for her. The woman’s parents said she did not respond to calls on her mobile phone, triggering panic among family members, the police said. The woman, however, returned home shortly later in an autorickshaw with an intravascular cannula, medically known as Vigo and used for administering injection, glucose or other fluids in the body, inserted in her hand, the police said, quoting her parents. The girl looked dazed and in a serious condition, prompting her parents to rush her to a nearby hospital, but she died on the way, said the SP. When the matter was reported to the police from the hospital, the parents alleged that their daughter was gang-raped, SP Verma said. Acting on the parent’s complaint, police identified the accused as Shahid and Sahil and arrested them, the SP said. Reacting to the incident, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav said, “After Hathras, now a daughter was harassed and gang-raped in Balrampur. The victim died in serious condition. Condolences!” “The BJP government should commit no laxity in this case as was done in Hathras and arrest the accused immediately,” he added with a hashtag #Balrampur… #NoMoreBJP" on his Tweeter handle.
Hathras, Balrampur gangrape cases News: UP Police registers FIR against Priyanka, Rahul Gandhi for violating prohibitory orders
Hathras, Balrampur gangrape cases News: Earlier in the day, the two Congress leaders, heading to meet the rape victim’s family in Hathras, were stopped and were briefly detained before being sent back to Delhi
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AAP demands Yogi Adityanath’s resignation
The Aam Aadami Party (AAP) staged a protest in Mumbai over the gang-rape and death of a Dalit teen 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.
PTI
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Students hold protest in Delhi University, briefly detained
Members of various students organisations held a protest at Delhi University’s north campus against the brutal Hathras gang-rape and murder incident and demanded justice for the 19-year-old victim. A senior police official said 20-22 protestors were detained and later released.
A statement said Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) activists along with other progressive organizations of DU held demonstrations against the barbarous gang-rape in Hathras and the denial of justice to the victim and her family by UP government’s state machinery. A large number of activists were wrongfully detained while protesting and taken to Maurice Nagar Police Station, they alleged.
PTI
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Why media not asking questions to UP govt: Raj Thackeray
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray asked why the Uttar Pradesh government tried to stop someone who wanted to meet the Hathras rape victim’s family. “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
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.
PTI
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Students organisations call for protests
Students’ bodies, Dalit women’s organisations have given a call for holding protests on Friday, both offline and online, over the Hathras gangrape case. Howveer, as per ANI, Delhi Police has said that no gatherings are allowed near India Gate in Delhi.
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UP Police files FIR against Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi
The Uttar Pradesh police have registered case against Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and others under Sec 188, 269 and 270 of IPC and under provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act for violating lockdown rules while marching to Hathras, say reports. Earlier in the day, a Congress convoy heading to Hathras was stopped and the Gandhis were briefly detained before being sent back to Delhi.
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Congress holds protests in Punjab
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Legal experts counter UP Police’s ’no rape’ theory
Legal experts debunked the theory propounded by the Uttar Pradesh Police that absence of semen from the body of Hathras victim suggested that she was not raped. Senior advocates Rebecca John and Vikas Pahwa told news agency PTI that absence of semen on the body of alleged gang rape victim as claimed by the police in the forensic report was of no consequence for the prosecution of accused persons for the offence as there was a dying declaration that cannot be discredited.
“So what (the semen was not found)? Offence of rape doesn’’t require its presence. And anyway there was a dying declaration.“Some extraordinary evidence will be needed to discredit the dying declaration,” John said.
“Body can be washed, cleaned. It depends. It is also to be seen how much time difference was there between the offence and the medical examination. If the medical examination was conducted immediately after the rape, there would be presence of semen, otherwise won’’t. If she goes to washroom etc. after the offence, the semen might be washed away,” said.Pahwa
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DMK demands apology from Adityanath over treatment meted out to Rahul Gandhi
DMK president M K Stalin demanded that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath apologise for the alleged inhumane treatment metedout to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by police. 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.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri staged a protest in Chennai to condemn the detention of Rahul Gandhi by police to stop him from going towards Hathras in Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, Congress workers held demonstrations in several places including Karur,Pattukottai and Tirunelveli.
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Hathras victim’s family claims police, admin pressure, demands CBI inquiry
The family of the 19-year-old Dalit woman who succumbed to her injuries at a Delhi hospital after she was allegedly gangraped in Hathras has alleged they were being pressured by the district administration against repeatedly changing their statement. The father of the woman said he was being pressured by government officials and demanded a CBI probe into the matter. The father, around 50, claimed that he was pressured into going to a police station where the district magistrate and police officials made three members of his family sign some document.
PTI
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Ensure no coercion on Hathras victim’s family, Allahabad HC directs UP govt
The Allahabad HC, while taking cognisance of the Hathras gangrape case, said the incidents which took place after the death of the victim leading up to her cremation, as alleged, have “shocked its conscience”, as per LiveLaw. “The matter is of immense public importance and public interest as it involves allegation of high handedness by the State Authorities resulting in violation of the basic human and fundamental rights not only of the deceased victim but also of her family members,” the court further alleged. It directed state authorities to ensure that no coercion, influence or pressure is exerted upon the family members of the deceased “in any manner, by anyone”.
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Allahabad HC takes suo moto congisance of Hathras case
The Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court takes suo moto cognisance of Hathras incident and issues notices to the UP government, reports PTI. As per news agency ANI,the Court seeks response from the Uttar Pradesh Home secretary, DGP, ADG Law and Order and the Hathras District Magistrate and and Superintendent of police by 12 October. As per Live Law, the court has asked media houses like The Indian Express, Times of India, AajTak, NDTV , etc to produce the material and content on the basis of which they have reported the cremation of the deceased girl. The court has also directed the victim’s family to be present on 12 October.
Congress, NCP stage demonstrations
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Congress slams UP Police over ’no rape’ claims
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate slammed the UP Police for claiming that no rape had taken place in the Hathras case, saying that no semen didn’t mean no rape. Shrinate drew attention towards the changed definition of rape following the amendments to Section 375 of the IPC.
UP Police needed to be ‘more sensitive and responsible’, says BJP MP
UP Police needed to be “more sensitive and responsible” as their actions triggered anger among people following the cremation of the Hathras Dalit woman in dead of night, head of the parliamentary panel on the welfare of SCs/STs and BJP MP Kirit Solanki said on Thursday. Calling the Hathras case “unfortunate,” Solanki said he strongly condemns the incident and the guilty should be hanged if the rape charge is proven.
“Stringent punishment should be awarded to those who found guilty for this heinous crime. And if gang-rape is proven, they should be hanged as per the law,” Solanki told PTI over the phone.
Solanki further said, “The panel will take serious cognisance of this incident and will discuss with the panel members how to take up this issue.”
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Congress workers stage protest in Bhopal
Congress workers stage protest in Bhopal over party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra not being allowed to proceed to Hathras by Uttar Pradesh police, burn effigy of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led state government, reports PTI.
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Dalit Human Rights Defenders Network demands fast-tracking of Hathras case
In an open letter to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the Dalit Human Rights Defenders Network demanded that the Hathras gangrape case be fast-tracked to ensure that justice is not delayed or obstructed. The letter also urged that action be taken against police officials who obstruct justice in sexual violence cases by refusing to register FIRs, tampering with evidence and pushing survivors or their families to compromise in any way, under provisions of the SC/ST Act as well as the IPC. “Measures to ensure police accountability need to go beyond suspending or transferring police officers after a rape or murder has taken place,” the letter said while making a push for systemic police reforms.
The signatories also demanded that protection be given to survivor/victims and their families in such cases. They also called for effective enforcement on existing laws on sexual violence and for allocation of adequate resources to combat sexual violence. The letter further said that compensation, psycho-social support, medical care and other relief and rehabilitation services must be provided to all survivors or the families of the victims.
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Congress stages protests in Delhi, Chennai
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Bhim Army chief demands President’s Rule in UP
Azad Samaj Party chief and Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar Azad 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.
The Dalit activist was accompanying the family of the 19-year-old woman to their home but was detained midway. He was brought to his home in Saharanpur the next evening and put under house arrest, according to Azad Samaj Party office-bearers.
“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
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More questions raised over UP Police’s ’no rape’ claim
Journalists and activists on Twitter continued to raise questions over the UP Police’s claims that the Hathras teen was not raped, with some pointing out that the teen said in her dying declaration that she was sexually assaulted by four men while others pointed out that the victim’s body had “ conveniently" cremated. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh ADG Prashant Kumar had said that the teen died due to neck injuries and the forensic report made it clear that she had not been raped.
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Mamata Banerjee slams UP govt over Hathras victim’s cremation
Hitting out at the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that as Goddess Sita had to go through ‘Agni Pariksha’, the Dalit woman who died after being allegedly gang-raped and brutalised in Hathras was put on a funeral pyre in the dead of the night. Addressing a government programme in the Jalpaiguri district, she questioned the role of the UP Police in handling the case that triggered a massive outrage across the country.
“If a crime takes place, action has to be taken within 72 hours, as we have done. What kind of an administration isthis where the body of the woman was cremated in the dead of the night while no proceedings were initiated (against the accused),” she added.
PTI
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NCP chief Sharad Pawar condemns ‘reckless behaviour’ of UP Police
NCP chief Sharad Pawar condemned the “reckless behaviour” of the Uttar Pradesh Police towards Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was briefly detained while on his way to Hathras. “It is reprehensible for those who are supposed to uphold the law to trample upon the democratic values in such a manner,” Pawar said.
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Fourteen-yr-old Dalit girl found murdered in UP’s Bhadohi
Amid outrage over the Balrampur and Hathras gangrape incidents, the Bhadohi Police on Thursday said that a 14 your old girl was found murdered in a field in the district. The girl’s head had been smashed with a stone and the body has sent for post-mortem, said police. While the girl’s family has alleged that she was sexually assaulted, the police said that this can only be confirmed after the post-mortem report and futher investigation.
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Priyanka, Rahul Gandhi released, headed back to Delhi
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who were detained by the Uttar Pradesh police, while on the way to to meet the Hathras victim’s family, were released after being kept at a guest house for some time, report PTI quoting sources. They are now headed back towards Delhi escorted by the UP police, they said
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UP Congress calls for statewide protest against detention of the Gandhis
The Uttar Pradesh Congress has given a call for a statewide protest against the detention of party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who were stopped as they were on their way to meet the family of the Hathras gang rape victim The in-charge of the party administration, Siddhartpriy Srivastava, in a letter said all district and city unit presidents have been asked to hold immediate dharnas against the behaviour of the UP Police, which detained the leaders.
“We Congress workers will not tolerate this kind of behaviour of the state police with our leaders and so the UP Congress Committee has decided to hold immediate dharnas in all Assembly segments,” the letter said.
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Protests erupt at several places in Haryana
Protest marches were taken out at many places in Haryana against the gangrape in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras, with some demonstrators demanding capital punishment for the culprits. The protests were organised by various social outfits and Dalit organisations on Thursday at several places including Kaithal, Yamunanagar, Fatehabad and Rohtak. At Bahadurgarh, the protesters burnt an effigy of the Uttar Pradesh government and raised slogans against the BJP led regime for its alleged failure to manage law and order. Our demand is that the culprits should be hanged, said a protester in Yamunanagar’s Radaur.
PTI
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Activists, journalists raise questions over UP police’s claims
After the UP Police shared the postmortem details with the media, many questioned why the police c remated the body of the Hathras teen in such a rush, in the middle of the night if the findings of the autopsy report showed that she was not raped, but died of neck injuries.
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‘Arrogant regime perpetuating injustice’: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lashes out at UP govt
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was stopped from going to Hathras along with Rahul Gandhi, lasshed out at the Uttar Pradesh government, accusing it of furthering injustice. “An arrogant regime is seeking to demonstrate its power over the dead bodies of innocent girls. Instead of preventing injustice, it is perpetutaing injustice itself.Our struggle for a safe society and state for women – where they can live freely and move forward — will continue,” she said on Twitter
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BSP demands capital punishment for Hathras accused
The BSP demanded capital punishment for the rapists and killers of the Hathras Dalit woman and also sought the dismissal of police personnel responsible for cremating her in the dead of night. A BSP delegation led by BSP’s Rishikesh senior vice-president, Pankaj Jatav, met SDM Varun Chaudhary and handed a memorandum addressed to the President, demanding the hanging of the perpetrators of the crime. The party also demanded the dismissal of police personnel responsible for cremating the rape victim in the dead of night, Jatav said.
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Why is PM not speaking about Beti Bachoa now, asks DK Shivakumar
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‘Assault by the State’: SC lawyer condemns Rahul Gandhi’s detention
Reacting to Uttar Pradesh police stopping the Congress convoy and detaining Rahul Gandhi, Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nandy said,“Smashing the Opposition by evicting them from their Rajya Sabha votes, criminal cases and now actual assault by the State should tell you where we are today.” The actions of the UP police have evoked strong reactions from various Opposition parties as well as commentators on Twitter.
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Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi arrested, claims Congress
Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, along with some senior Congress leaders have been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police,claimed the Congress on its Twitter handle. The party shared a video showing Rahul Gandhi in the front seat of a car also carrying police and security personnel. However, as per the Indian Express, Rahul and Priyanka have been detained, and along with party leaders Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala are being taken to the Buddh International Circuit guest house.
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Adityanath should resign for failure to protect women, says Mayawati
Raising questions on the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, BSP chief Mayawati demanded that the leadership should be changed or president’s rule be imposed in the state. Referring to the deaths of two young women in Hathras and Balrampur regions in the state, she said the incidents are reminiscent of the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case in Delhi.
“In the wake of the law and order situation in the state and the flood of crimes against women, the central government should replace Yogi Adityanath with some ‘kaabil’ (capable) person and if this is not possible, president’s rule should be imposed in the state,” Mayawati said. “I want to say to Yogi Adityanath that you are born from the womb of a woman. You should consider the sisters and daughters of others as your sister and daughter. If you are unable to protect them, you should resign”, she asserted.
PTI
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Forensic report makes it clear Hathras victim wasn’t raped, says ADG
“Postmortem report carried out in Delhi found thatvictim died due to her neck injury and the resultant trauma. The FSL report has also been received which clearly shows that no sperm was found in samples, making it clear that some people twisted the matter to stir caste-based tension. Police have taken prompt action since the beginning. Such people, who wanted to fan casteist tensions in the state, will be identified and legal action will be taken aginst them, said Uttar Pradesh ADG Prashant Kumar on Hathras case.
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Uttar Pradesh government acting in dictatorial manner, alleges Ashok Gehlot
Rajasthan chief minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot lashed out at the Uttar Pradesh government for “illegally” detaining Rahul Gandhi, saying that the BJP government’s attempt to harass Opposition leaders was reprehensible.
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UP Police arrest Rahul Gandhi under Section 188 IPC
Rahul Gandhi , who was marching towards Hathras, has been stopped at Yamuna Expressway on his way to Hathras. Rahul along with Priyanka Gandhi are being taken into preventive custody. Rahul said, “I want to walk to Hathras alone. Please tell me under which section are you arresting me.”
“We are arresting you under Section 188 IPC for violation of an order. " the police said.
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PICTURES: Cops threw me to the ground, says Rahul Gandhi
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‘Don’t be afraid so much, Chief Minister’: Rahul Gandhi
“In times of sorrow, loved ones are not left alone. It is Jungleraj’s wish in UP that meeting a family in mourning also scares the government. Don’t be afraid so much, Chief Minister!” Rahul Gandhi tweeted as he was stopped by the state police on his way to Hathras to meet the victim’s family.
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Egotistical govt cannot stop us: Priyanka Gandhi
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra shares pictures of Congress workers injured during the lathi-charge. A scuffle had broken on the Yamuna Expressway with the police trying to stop Congress leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Police were seen conducting lathicharge to stop protesters from going ahead.
In a tweet, the Congress leader said: “The sticks of an egotistical government cannot stop us. I wish this lathi, this police would have stood in defense of Hathras’s dalit daughter.”
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Police pushed me, lathi-charged me: Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi, who is on his way to Hathras, accused the police of pushing him and starting lathicharge on workers. “I want to ask, can only Modi Ji walk in this country? Can’t a normal person walk?”
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Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka march to Hathras stopped at Yamuna Expressway
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who were marching their way to Hathras, have been stopped at Yamuna Expressway. Earlier in the day, Gandhi’s cars were also stopped after which they decided to walk towards Hathras to meet the Dalit gangrape victim’s family.