After arrest of Gandhis, UP Congress calls for statewide protest

The Congress Uttar Pradesh unit on Thursday (October 1) gave a call for statewide protest against the arrest of party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on their way to Hathras to meet the family members of the Dalit gangrape victim who died on Tuesday.

In a letter, Siddhartpriy Srivastava, in-charge of party administration, said that all district and city unit presidents have been asked to hold immediate dharnas against the behaviour of the Uttar Pradesh Police, which detained the leaders in Noida earlier in the day.

Related news: Rahul Gandhi arrested on way to Hathras, says “cops lathicharged me”

“We Congress workers will not tolerate this kind of behaviour of the state police with our leaders and so the UP Congress Committee has decided to hold immediate dharnas in all assembly segments,” the letter said.

The convoy of the Gandhi siblings was at first stopped by the police at Greater Noida, about 150 km from Hathras, following which they began walking towards Hathras along with their supporters. Stopped again, Rahul, this time, sat on the road along with the supporters.

Rahul Gandhi also fell down in the melee after police tried to stop him and his supporters from proceeding on the Yamuna Expressway. The Gandhis were then taken away in a police jeep. The Congress tweeted that the Gandhis and other senior leaders have been arrested.

Related news: ‘No rape in Hathras case’: Senior UP cop cites forensic report

Rahul Gandhi earlier questioned senior UP cops under which law was he being stopped as he wanted to walk alone towards Hathras to meet the rape victim’s family. “Can you tell me under which law can you stop me from marching towards Hathras,” he told the cops.

Congress leader Randeep Surjrewala, who was accompanying the Gandhis, put out a video along with a tweet showing Rahul Gandhi allegedly being roughed up as he walked on the Yamuna Expressway. Pictures of him falling down in the melee were shared by Congress.