Congress leaders lashed out at the Yogi Adityanath government for arresting Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi and preventing them from going to Hathras district on Thursday to meet the family of a gang-rape victim, who died earlier this week. They were arrested with supporters, after they began walking to Hathras when their vehicles were stopped.
B. Srivatsa, national campaign in-charge of the Youth Congress, alleged Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was scared of Rahul Gandhi. Srivatsa tweeted, "Adityanath is scared of @RahulGandhi UP Police assaulting @RahulGandhi & stopping him & & priyankagandhi from visiting Hathras is shameful Why can't the opposition meet the victim's family? Yogi your days are numbered. People of UP will teach u a lesson."
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the incident. Gehlot tweeted, "I condemn strongly the way UP police has detained Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ji & Priyanka Gandhi ji illegally. They misbehaved with Rahul ji. This is undemocratic & brutal use of force. UP BJP Govt’s attempt to harass opposition leaders like this is reprehensible."
Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the incident. Shivakumar tweeted, "I condemn the assault by UP Police on our leader @RahulGandhi who is fighting to get justice for Hathras rape victim. Under what law has he been detained? Why are he & @priyankagandhi not being allowed to meet victim's family? Why is the PM not speaking about 'Beti Bachao' now?"
Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah targeted both Modi and Adityanath. "I condemn the attack on Shri. @RahulGandhi in Uttar Pradesh. A wise man once said, Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. @narendramodi & @myogiadityanath have proved that they draw inspiration from violence."
Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal called for protests by all party units over the arrests of Rahul and Priyanka. He tweeted, "The cowardly UP Govt has arrested Shri @RahulGandhi& Smt @PriyankaGandhi for seeking justice & trying to meet the bereaved Hathras victim's family. I appeal to all PCCs and @INCIndia workers to protest today against the arrest of Rahul ji, Priyanka ji & other party leaders.”
Former home minister P. Chidambaram lashed out at the Uttar Pradesh Police, calling it a "law unto itself".
He asked why Rahul and Priyanka were arrested when, "The two leaders were not violent, they did not carry arms, they were lodging a peaceful protest. Why should the police stop them from protesting peacefully?"