Congress to hold Satyagraha across states to demand justice for Hathras victim

The Congress party has announced a 'Satyagraha' at Mahatma Gandhi or Babasaheb Ambedkar statues in state and district headquarters, to demand justice for the victim and her family in Hathras incident. Senior leaders, MPs, MLAs and office bearers, party functionaries and ordinary workers will be participating in the ''Satyagraha".

New Delhi: Taking the battle to next level, Congress Party will be holding a silent sit-in at the state and district level across the country as part of the party's protest demanding justice for the victim and her family in Hathras incident.

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) and MP KC Venugopal said that the "brutal gangrape and murder of a Dalit girl" from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh has shaken the conscience of the nation.

As part of the protest, the Pradesh Congress Committees will do 'Satyagraha' at Mahatma Gandhi or Babasaheb Ambedkar statues and any other place of significance, in state and district headquarters "against the brutal and arbitrary actions of the UP Government", demanding justice for the victim and her family.

"The brazen inhumanity and illegal high handedness shown by the BJP Government of Uttar Pradesh in denying basic dignity to the victim even in death and afterwards towards the family has left everyone beyond shock. And after continued pressure from Congress party, on October 3, when thousands of workers, MPs and senior leaders led by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi announced to leave for Hathras, the UP administration relented and allowed only 5 leaders to meet the victim's family," he said.

"Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi not only met and heard the family's agony and injustice done to them but also ensured all-out support in carrying out an impartial investigation. They promised to do whatever possible so that no daughter feels insecure and nobody however small, feels helpless," he added.

Venugopal said that Congress party has resolved to relentlessly fight against "arbitrary and unconstitutional ways" of the Yogi Government and ensure justice to the victim and her family.

"In our continued effort to provide justice to the family of Hathras victim, the Congress party has decided to hold 'Satyagraha' in the states and district headquarters across the country on the morning of Monday, (October 5, 2020)" he said.

Senior leaders, MPs, MLAs and office bearers, party functionaries and ordinary workers will be participating in the ''Satyagraha," in full strength.

On Saturday, Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi reached Hathras in the evening after the UP administration conveyed that a group of five persons can meet the victim's family. Both leaders met the victim's family.

The 19-year-old Hathras girl died at Delhi's Safdarjung hospital on September 29, a fortnight after allegedly being gang-raped. All the four accused in the incident have been arrested.

The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered CBI probe into the matter and suspended police officials.

The post-mortem report reads that the victim suffered a fracture of "C6 cervical vertebra" and there was "extravasations of blood along the fracture line" and the underlying spinal cord was "contused with ascending oedema". Also, the postmortem report denies rape charges.

ANI