Unruly scenes unravelled at the Delhi-Noida border as a delegation of Congress leaders and workers led by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reached the DND flyway on Saturday. The Gandhis's convoy was stopped at the DND flyway before the Uttar Pradesh government gave in and permitted the Congress leaders to visit the village of the alleged rape victim, but with a smaller delegation of five people. Senior leaders K.C. Venugopal, Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary and P.L. Punia will be accompanying the Gandhi siblings, stated Uttar Pradesh Congress unit. The delegation is currently on their way to Hathras.
Shortly after the UP administration gave the go-ahead for the Gandhis to visit the village, Rahul was seen addressing the hundreds of Congress workers who had marched to the Delhi-Noida border. He reportedly conveyed that they have been allowed to visit the Hathras 'rape' victim's family, albeit with a smaller delegation of five people. Soon, TV visuals showed the Gandhi siblings jumping over the barricades to cross over to the UP border to embark upon the almost two-hour journey.
Earlier, as the convoy was stopped, protests were intensified as Congress MPs began marching towards Hathras defying heavy police deployment at the Delhi-Noida border. Noida ADCP Ranvijay Singh reportedly accused the Congress leaders of violating Section 144. The police have been deployed to control the unlawful assembly, he said.
#RahulGandhi and #PriyankaGandhi head to #Hathras to meet the family of the 19-year-old rape victim. Priyanka Gandhi is driving the car herself; Rahul Gandhi is seated next to her. @TheWeekLive pic.twitter.com/iNvLvnMsHF
— Soni Mishra (@SoniMishra20) October 3, 2020
According to a video released by the Congress, Priyanka herself is driving her brother to the Uttar Pradesh village that has been at the centre of national attention in the aftermath of the alleged rape and subsequent death of the 20-year-old girl who succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday morning.
"If not this time, then we will try again," said Priyanka on her way to meet the family. Priyanka and Rahul are being accompanied by other Congress leaders. The two set out from Delhi at around 2.30 pm, with Priyanka driving a Toyota Innova and Rahul sitting in the front seat alongside her. The delegation of party leaders wants to speak to the family of the young woman, who have been traumatised first by the savage assault and then by the alleged inaction of the UP Police and government.
"Nothing in the world can stop me from going to Hathras to meet this unhappy family to share their pain," Rahul had tweeted this morning. Reportedly, more than 50 Congress MPs are likely to be a part of the delegation scheduled to visit Hathras on Saturday.
Taking to Twitter, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said: "Huge crowds milling at 24 Akbar Road as over fifty MPs gathered to travel to meet the family of the Hathras case victim. It is entirely appropriate for people of conscience to seek to express their solidarity in the face of such atrocities. Let us hope the UP government behaves sensibly."
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also rushed senior officials, including additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi and DGP Hitesh Chandra Awasthy, to meet the family members, who have apparently been restricted to talk to media. Earlier in the day, journalists were allowed to enter the village after the Uttar Pradesh administration said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had completed its investigation into the case.
Security has been beefed up prior to the Gandhis's visit on Saturday. Barricades were installed at the Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway as Congress workers arrived at the spot, even as CrPC section 144 remained imposed in Gautam Buddh Nagar.
Meanwhile, protesting Congress workers on Saturday stopped Union minister Smriti Irani's convoy in Varanasi.
