Congress to hold ‘satyagraha’ across states to demand justice for Hathras rape victim

A day after Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the family of the Hathras victim, the party announced it will stage ‘satyagraha’ in the district headquarters of states across the country on Monday to demand justice for them.

“The Pradesh Congress Committees will be organising silent Satyagraha sit-in, at Mahatma Gandhi/Ambedkar statues and any other place of significance, against the brutal and arbitrary actions of the UP Government, demanding justice for the victim and her family,” AICC general secretary, Organisation, KC Venugopal said in a statement.

He said senior leaders, MPs, MLAs, office bearers, party functionaries and ordinary workers will participate in full strength in the ‘satyagraha’.

“The brutal gangrape and murder of a Dalit girl from  Hathras in Uttar Pradesh has shaken the conscience of the nation,” Venugopal said.

He alleged that the “casual and cavalier attitude” in taking cognisance of her complaints and delay in providing her immediate medical attention “smacks of attempts at brushing under the carpet” as well as “complicity” on part of the UP administration.

Venugopal alleged that the 19-year-old girl was denied justice and dignity in both life and death, as her body was cremated without the consent of the family in the dead of night.  

“The brazen inhumanity and illegal high handedness shown by the BJP government of UP in denying basic dignity to the victim even in death and afterwards towards the family has left everyone beyond shock,” he said.  The Congress leader also criticised the UP government for the events of October 1 when Rahul Gandhi and the party’s UP in-charge Priyanka Gandhi along with other leaders tried to go to Hathras to meet the victim’s family and the delegation was stopped at the UP border itself. 

“Most convolutedly, the police manhandled Shri Rahul Gandhi in a most heinous way and arrested Shri Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka ji and other leaders. The police brutally lathicharged on the Congress party workers and other party functionaries. The leaders were not only forcibly stopped but FIR was also lodged against them,” he said in the statement.

He said it was only after continued pressure from the Congress party on October 3 when thousands of party workers, MPs and senior leaders led by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi announced to leave for Hathras, that the UP administration relented and allowed five leaders to meet the victim’s family.