Congress to hold Satyagraha across the nation on Monday to demand justice for Hathras gang-rape victim

The Congress has decided to hold Satyagraha in the states and district headquarters across the country on the morning of October 5 to demand justice for the Hathras gang-rape victim, it announced on Sunday.

“The Pradesh Congress Committees will be organising silent Satyagraha sit-in at Mahatma Gandhi/Ambedkar statues and any other place of significance against the brutal and arbitrary actions of the UP Government, demanding justice for the victim and her family. Senior leaders, MPs, MLAs and office bearers, party functionaries and ordinary workers will be participating in the Satyagraha in full strength,” K.C. Venugopal, MP and general secretary in-charge of organization, AICC said in press statement.

Here is the complete text of the statement:

The brutal gangrape and murder of a Dalit girl from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh has shaken the conscience of the nation. The brazen inhumanity and illegal high-handedness shown by the BJP Government of UP in denying basic dignity to the victim even in death and afterwards towards the family has left everyone beyond shock.

The casual and cavalier attitude in taking cognisance of her complaints and delay in providing her immediate medical attention smacks of attempts at brushing under the carpet, as indeed complicity on part of the UP administration. The 19-year-old girl was denied justice and dignity in both life and death. Her body was cremated without the consent of the family in the dead of night.

More worryingly, on October 1, when Rahul Gandhi and UP in charge Priyanka Gandhi along with other Congress Party leaders tried to go to Hathras to meet the victim’s family, the delegation was stopped at the UP border itself. Most convolutedly, the police manhandled Rahul Gandhi in a most heinous way and arrested Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka ji and other leaders. The police brutally lathicharged the Congress party workers and other party functionaries. The leaders were not only forcibly stopped but FIR was also lodged against them.

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.

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 impartial investigation. They promised to do whatever possible so that no daughter feels insecure and nobody however small, feels helpless.

The 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, 5th October, 2020.

The Pradesh Congress Committees will be organising silent Satyagraha sit-in at Mahatma Gandhi/Ambedkar statues and any other place of significance against the brutal and arbitrary actions of the UP Government, demanding justice for the victim and her family. Senior leaders, MPs, MLAs and office bearers, party functionaries and ordinary workers will be participating in the Satyagraha in full strength.