NEW DELHI: The NCW has sought an explanation from the UP police over the alleged manhandling of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra while she was on her way to Hathras to meet the family of a woman who diedafter she was allegedly gang-raped.
In a tweet, the National Commission for Women said this insensitive behaviour is totally unacceptable.
“@NCWIndia condemns the alleged manhandling of #PriyankaGandhi by police while she was on her way to #Hathras. This insensitive behaviour is totally unacceptable. Considering the sensitivity of the matter, our Chairperson @sharmarekha has sought a reply from @dgpup at the earliest,” the NCW tweeted.
“A copy of the letter has also been sent to @dmgbnagar and #DCP, Police Commissionerate, #GautamBuddhNagar,” it said in another tweet.
The incident had occurred at the Delhi-UP border when Priyanka along with other Congress leaders, including her brother
Rahul Gandhi, was on her way to Hathras on Saturday afternoon to meet the family of the woman who died after she was allegedly gang-raped.
There were scuffles involving Congress workers and the Gautam Buddh Nagar police during which she was allegedly manhandled.
In the melee, a helmet-wearing policeman had held the 48-year-old Congress general secretary by her kurta at the DND toll plaza while a crowd surrounded them.
The Dalit woman was allegedly raped in a Hathras village by four men on September 14. After her condition deteriorated, she was referred to Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital where she succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday.
She was cremated in the early hours of Wednesday, with her family alleging the local police forced them to conduct the last rites in the dead of the night.
Local police officers, however, had said the cremation was carried out “as per the wishes of the family”.
—PTI

Press Trust of India