Cong's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slams UP CM Yogi's 'anti-women mindset' over Hathras gangrape

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday lashed out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over crimes against women in the state and alleged that the BJP leader was the champion of "anti-women mindset." 

Priyanka Gandhi's remarks come on the day when, last year, the shocking Hathras incident took place in which a Dalit woman was gang-raped by four men. She succumbed to her injuries at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital on September 29, 2020.

In a tweet in Hindi, Priyanka Gandhi said, "A year ago from today, a horrific incident of rape had happened in Hathras and instead of providing justice and security to the family, the Uttar Pradesh government had threatened the family and also snatched away their right to give their daughter an honourable funeral."

The Congress general secretary alleged that government officials and BJP leaders denied rape and the "energy" of the entire government machinery was utilised on character assassination of the rape victim. How can you expect sensitivity from a government head who has taken such a bad stance on crimes against women, Priyanka Vadra asked.

"Anyway, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh is the champion of anti-women mindset. He has said that ''women should not be independent''," she claimed.

The Hathras case 

A 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly brutally raped by four men in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras when she went to collect fodder for her cattle on September 14 last year. The victim was initially shifted to a local hospital. However, when her condition deteriorated, she was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital where she died during the treatment.

At first, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted an SIT (Special Investigation Team) to investigate the case. On the basis of the report, five policemen were suspended. On October 11, CBI begin its probe after registering an FIR in the gange-rape case. The CBI also recorded the statement of the victim's family member and met doctors who were treating her.

On December 18, a charge sheet was filed by the central agency before a special court in Lucknow. Charges of murder, gang rape and SC/ST Act have been invoked against the accused- Luvkush, Sandeep, Ramu and Ravi.