From Delhi to Lucknow, Congress holds protests following death of Hathras gang rape victim

Thousands of Congress workers and activists hit the streets on Tuesday over the death of the Hathras gang-rape victim – a 19-year-old Dalit girl whose tongue was chopped off after the rape.

Allegedly raped by four men in Hathras district on September 14, the girl died at Safdarjung hospital in Delhi, where she was undergoing treatment, this morning.

While hundreds of Congress activists took out a candle march outside Safdarjung hospital in evening, thousands of Congress activists took to the street across various cities in Uttar Pradesh against the brutal gang rape.

Family members of the girl alleged that the UP police took the dead body away from the Safdarjung hospital without telling them.

In Lucknow, UP Congress chief Aay Kumar Lallu took out a candle march from the Congress office but was stopped by the UP police, following which he sat on a dharna.

Similar protests were organised in Allahabad, Bulandshahr and Pratapgarh also. Hundreds of Congress activists took out a candle march over the death of the gang rape victim in Allahabad, shouting slogans against the BJP government. The protesters sought the resignation of the Yogi government.

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi hit out at the Yogi government over the incident. Holding the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government responsible for the gang rape and subsquent death of the Dalit girl, Priyanka said, “Law and order in UP has deteriorated to a great extent. There is no semblance of safety for women. The criminals are committing crimes in the open...The killers of this girl should be punished severely”.

“@myogiadityanath you are accountable for the safety of women in UP,” said the Congress leader.