Bhim Army Chief, Stopped Twice, Meets Hathras Victim's Family

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad this evening met the family of the 20-year-old woman who died in Delhi after alleged gang rape and torture in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras. The Bhim Army chief marched for about five km after he was stopped by the police for the first time when he was on his way. He was stopped again when he entered Hathras and was told "not all the people accompanying him could go along".

Demanding Y-Plus category security for the family, Chandrashekar Azad this evening said: "When Kangana Ranaut can be given Y-plus security, meetings are being held to back the accused... I demand that the government arranges Y-Plus category security for the victim's family. We have all seen that the CBI follows the government's orders." 

"Under the present leadership, the CBI is being used only to scare people. We want a probe monitored by a retired Supreme Court judge," he added.  

Yogi Adityanath on Saturday had handed over the case to the CBI.

Chandrashekhar  Azad also held a massive protest when he was stopped by the UP Police for a second time when he had entered Hathras. Visuals showed him standing on top of a truck and addressing a massive crowd.

Another video showed Chandrashekar Azad, wearing a white kurta, marching with other members of the Bhim Army. The protesters, carrying flags, raised slogans against the government.

The Bhim Army Chief, also called "Raavan",  urged the administration to let him take the victim's family along with them, a request that was turned down,

Chandrashekhar Azad's Hathras visit comes a day after the Congress leaders - Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra - met the family at their home.

On Friday, the Bhim Army chief joined a protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar where hundreds of people came with placards and shouted slogans against the incident, which has sparked massive outrage.

"Our struggle will continue till Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister [Yogi Adityanath] doesn't resign and justice is not served. I urge the Supreme Court to take note of the incident," he said at Jantar Mantar.

The Bhim Army also led a protest earlier this week outside Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital where the young woman died of horrific injuries suffered in the assault.

"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... her bones broken and body cremated like garbage. When there is human rights violation in Uttar Pradesh, does not the Prime Minister say a word?" Chandrashekhar Azad had said earlier in an emotional message, attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi - an MP from UP's Varanasi.

Several opposition leaders have been stopped from going to Hathras this week. On Thursday, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were stopped when they made their first attempt to meet the victim's family.

The next day, Trinamool Congress's Derek O'Brien and several other TMC leaders said they were manhandled "just 1.5 km from the victim's home."