Priyanka Gandhi attends prayer meet for Hathras victim at Delhi's Valmiki temple

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with other party workers attended a prayer meeting for the victim of the Hathras incident at Maharishi Valmiki Temple in Delhi on Friday amid nationwide outrage over the rape and death of a 19-year-old Dalit woman. The party has asked its leaders to hold prayer meetings in Valmiki Temples across the country as the victim who was raped and killed belonged to the Valmiki Community.

"Whatever happened to this girl, what is happening to her family, injustice was inflicted upon them. Every man and woman of this country should raise their voice against this. The government did not extend any help to the victim or family," Priyanka Gandhi said.

"When I came to know that you all have kept a prayer meeting here, I came so that the family does not feel that they are alone. Every woman in the country should raise their voice, the people from the media are here, they should pressurize the government, we will create political pressure. Her family did not even get a chance to perform the final rites of the girl in dignity. This is inhumanity," the leader added.

In a video posted by the official twitter handle of Congress, Gandhi and other attendees were seen chanting 'Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram', a song associated with Mahatma Gandhi. This comes as the country observed the 151st birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation.

The party's Delhi unit chief Anil Chaudhary and minority cell chief Nadeem Javed were also present.

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Hathras horror and aftermath

The 19-year-old woman in a village in UP's Hathras district was brutally gang-raped by four 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.

UP Police is facing outrage after the victim's family alleged that the last rites of the victim were conducted without their consent and in the middle of the night. 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, state 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 senior state officials by October 12.

On Thursday, Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi tried to visit Hathras to meet the victim's family. However, they were stopped midway after a tussle with the UP police. A case was registered against the leaders. Earlier, the Gandhi siblings were arrested by the UP Police at Yamuna Expressway while they were trying to meet the victim's family, who had died during treatment in Delhi's Safdarjung hospital on Tuesday.

Both Congress leaders alleged they were manhandled and roughed up by police personnel while they were marching towards Hathras. However, Noida Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Ranvijay Singh said that there was "no lathi charge" on anyone.

(Image: Congress/Twitter)

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