Current affairs

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was arrested on way to Hathras as UP police unfold a clampdown!

By alagu, 01 October, 2020
India, Uttar Pradesh, Congress, Rahul Gandhi

Senior Congress leader and former party's president Rahul Gandhi has been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday when he was ahead of visiting the family of the 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras, who died on Tuesday, about a fortnight after she was gang-raped by four upper-caste men. 

Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had arrived in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday to meet the family of the victim. However, ahead of their arrivals to the state, Uttar Pradesh Police had imposed a curfew under section 144 and emergency laws in the native village of the deceased woman to restrict the arrival of the leaders amid deepening outrage in the state and across the nation. 

The government had deployed heavy security forces in and around the village ahead of the arrival of the Congress leaders and the police had strictly prohibited the gatherings of more than five people after the state had witnessed protests over the cremation of the victim as the police had drawn massive flak for cremating the mortal remains of the woman against the wish of the family members, who requested the police to bring the body home for the one last time. 

As the incident sparked massive unrest with activists, opposition parties, and the general public have been protesting against the state government and against the caste-based violence with the demand of delivering justice to the victim, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Dalit political leader of the state Chandra Shekhar Azad had planned to visit Hathras on Thursday. 

 

As planned, they had started from Delhi to visit the family on Thursday. However, ahead of their arrival, the state police had imposed emergency laws to restrict the leaders from visiting the village. After dictating the curfew, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were stopped on a highway connecting Delhi and Uttar Pradesh while they were traveling to Hathras to meet the family. 

As the leaders arrived, hundreds of members from the Congress party had gathered and surrounded them. After their cars were restricted entry, Gandhis had begun to march on foot along with the supporters following which the police had arrested Rahul Gandhi for marching against the curfew order. The spot had witnessed a tussle and melee between the Congress supporters and police officers and the Congress leaders alleged that they were not only stopped by the police but they had also been lathi-charged and pushed to the ground.

The Congress leaders were on the way to Hathras to meet the family members of the victim. According to ANI, Rahul Gandhi was stopped at Yamuna Expressway on his way to Hathras. The Congress leader said that he wanted to walk to Hathras alone and he asked the police under which section he was getting arrested for which the police said that they are arresting him under section 188 IPC for violation of the curfew order. 

 

The police had also detained Priyanka Gandhi amid the nationwide outrage as the opposition parties have been protesting against the incident and demanding Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to step down from the post. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "In Uttar Pradesh, not only the victim was raped then her body was burnt. If there is a crime Police should investigate. What kind of rule is this? Sometimes minorities are tortured, sometimes 'Dalits' are tortured & sometimes 'Adivasis' are tortured". 

 

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