As Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra left for Hathras in Uttar Pradesh to meet the family of the dalit woman who died after a brutal gangrape, news broke that the city administration sealed the borders and imposed Section 144 so that no more than 5 people are allowed to gather. "We have no information about Priyanka Gandhi's visit. SIT will meet the victim's family members today, media will not be allowed," Hathras DM P. Lakshkar told news agency ANI.
NDTV reported that a senior official claimed several policemen had shown coronavirus symptoms, and hence the restrictions were imposed.
In Hathras, a 20-year-old teen was raped by four men on September 14 and referred to Safdarjung Hospital, and subsequently AIIMS, in Delhi with spinal injuries, paralysis and cuts in her tongue. The incident evoked outrage across the country. The Hathras victim's family had also accused the Yogi Adityanath government of forcibly cremating her in the wee hours of Wednesday.
Both the Gandhi siblings had torn into the Yogi government and called for his resignation. Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Thursday that "persecution of daughters was continuing in the jungle raj of UP". Alluding to the Hathras gang-rape incident, Rahul alleged the victim received no honour when alive and "her dignity was taken away in her final rites". Rahul alleged the BJP's motto was not 'Beti Bacchao', but "hide the truth, save power".
Priyanka Gandhi had led calls for Yogi Adityanath to resign on Wednesday after news of the cremation of the Hathras victim emerged. Priyanka tweeted about the torture suffered by the Balrampur victim and added "daughters were being punished in Azamgarh, Bagpath and Bulandshahr". Priyanka alleged "There is no end to the jungle raj prevailing in UP." She added "law and order does not run by marketing and speeches". Priyanka declared, "this was a time for accountability from the chief minister".
