Hathras Horror: Bhim Army Chief demands PM Modi's response, calls for protest in Delhi

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad on Friday demanded answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the gang rape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras that has triggered widespread protests against the state government. He has also called for a protest in the evening at near Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

Taking to Twitter, Azad lashed out at the Prime Minister and said his silence was "a danger for our daughters". "In the same Uttar Pradesh that elected him and sent him to Parliament, there is brutality against a daughter from Hathras. She was raped and murdered and her body cremated like trash. When there is human rights violation in Uttar Pradesh, why does the Prime Minister not say a word?" he asked. PM Modi is a Lok Sabha MP from UP's Varanasi.

"Can the Prime Minister hear the victim's or her family's screams? How long will you stay silent, Prime Minister? You will have to give answers. Today, at 5 pm, we are coming to India Gate to demand answers. Your silence is a danger for our daughters," he added.

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Chandrashekhar Azad said PM Modi "will have to speak, will have to answer and ensure that justice is delivered". Acknowledging that the Delhi Police has imposed restrictions on gatherings in the area, Azad said the protest had been shifted to Jantar Mantar.

Bhim Army protesters are expected to join hundreds of activists in the agitation against the Hathras incident at Jantar Mantar. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi tweeted a rallying cry in support of the protest, which prompted cops to ban large crowds around India Gate. The Bhim Army chief had also demonstrated outside the Delhi hospital where the Hathras victim died. On Thursday, Azad demanded President's rule in UP, alleging "failure of constitutional machinery" in the state over crimes against Dalits.

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Hathras Gangrape horror

A 19-year-old woman in a village in UP's Hathras district was brutally gang-raped by 4 men when she was collecting fodder for her cattle on September 14. The victim, who was initially admitted to a local hospital in Hathras was shifted for further treatment to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital. She succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday, September 29. Four persons have been arrested by the police in this case.

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The UP Police is facing outrage after the victim's family alleged that the last rites of the victim were conducted in the middle of the night without their consent. The victim's family claimed that its request for the body to be taken to the house and carrying out the cremation after sunrise was turned down by the police. 

However, Uttar Pradesh ADG Prashant Kumar claimed that the funeral was conducted with the consent of the family. The Allahabad High Court took suo moto cognizance of this and sought a response from ACS Home, DGP, ADG Law & Order, Hathras DM and SP by October 12.

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(Image credits: PTI)