Police book both for disturbing peace, Priyanka to sit on dharna
Shunning the image of Twitter warriors, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Vadra on Thursday led from the front while heading for Hathras to meet the family members of the Dalit girl who succumbed to gangrape and brutality two days ago.
Hundreds of policemen stopped them, pushed and shoved Rahul, detained both of them, and lathi-charged Congress workers on the Yamuna expressway.
Rahul and Priyanka were not allowed to move further and were sent back to Delhi.
Later the Uttar Pradesh police filed an FIR against Rahul and Priyanka for disturbing peace.
Rahul, along with Priyanka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Rajiv Shukla and several other top party leaders were walking towards Hathras to meet the family of the victims a day after the last rites of the rape victim were allegedly performed by the police during the night in the absence of her family members.
After being stopped from going ahead, Priyanka has decided to sit on a dharna.
Rahul and others left the national Capital on Thursday morning and began marching towards Hathras after their vehicle was stopped near the Yamuna Expressway.
The police told Rahul that the district administration of Hathras had issued an order to ban the entry of outsiders for law and order considerations.
Later Rahul told the media, “The police pushed me, lathi-charged me and threw me to the ground. I want to ask, can only (Narendra) Modiji walk in this country? Can’t a normal person walk? Our vehicle was stopped, so we started walking.”
Rahul said that even if Section 144 had been imposed, he will walk alone towards Hathras to meet the family of the rape victim, but the police didn’t agree to let him move forward.
Attacking the Yogi Adityanath Government over the deteriorating law and order situation, in a tweet, Rahul said, “In times of sorrow, loved ones are not left alone. In the ‘jungle raj’ of Uttar Pradesh someone’s wish to meet a grieving family also scares the Government. Do not be afraid so much, Chief Minister!”
Before being detained, the Congress leaders had a heated exchange with the police personnel and enquired about the grounds on which they were being detained.
In a tweet, Priyanka said, “They prevented us from going to Hathras. When we all went out on foot with Rahulji, we were repeatedly stopped, they used lathis in a barbaric manner. Many workers have been injured. But our intention is clear. The sticks of an arrogant Government cannot stop us. I wish the police would have used the same lathis in defense of Hathras’ Dalit daughter.”
Ranvijay Singh, Additional DCP Gautam Budh Nagar said Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi were detained and then released. Singh said Rahul and Priyanka were not allowed to proceed further as the police have a letter from DM Hathras saying that if they visit the village, it may disturb the law and order situation in the district. “Also, there is the issue of providing security cover to them,” said the police official.
The police said that Rahul and his sister were taken into custody as they were marching in an area where Section 144 has been imposed. The section relates to the assembly of not more than five people at one place. The police officials said that Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi along with over a dozen people was detained and brought to the JP Buddha Circuit guest House. They were served notice under Section 41 for flouting Section 144 and they can be charged under Section 188 of Covid-19 Pandemic Act, the police officials said.
Congress leaders condemned the manhandling of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi by the UP police.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad condemned the manhandling of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi by UP police and said this act is totally unacceptable.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal also condemned the UP police action and appealed to party workers to protest against the detention of the party leaders. “The cowardly UP Government has arrested Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi for seeking justice and trying to meet the Hathras victim’s family. I appeal to all PCCs and Congress workers to protest today against the arrest of Rahulji, Priyankaji and other party leaders,” Venugopal took to social media to say this.
Congress national media in-charge Surjewala, who was also traveling with Rahul, in a series of tweets said, “Even during the British Rule, (Mahatma) Gandhiji could undertake the Dandi March for salt satyagraha. Shameless that in independent India in a democratic setup, the same cannot be done. UP Police lathi-charging and arresting Rahul Gandhi sums it up!”. He also recalled how Lala Lajpat Rai was brutally hit by the British police during the freedom struggle.
“The Adityanath Government has arrested hundreds of Congress workers and leaders at Surajpur Police Line, Noida. The voice of the poor family is being suppressed in Hathras and that of every person raising their voice on the UP border. The struggle will continue,” he said in another tweet.
The Congress leader also slammed the Yogi Adityanath Government saying, “Ajay Bisht, the pot of sins of your misrule is full. Pictures of police brutality with Rahul Gandhi, Priyankaji and Congressmen going towards Hathras peacefully to console the family of the deceased victim are the beginning of the BJP’s downfall in the country and UP. Keep this thing in writing.”