Priyanka demands removal of Hathras DM, probe his role in rape case

A day after meeting the family of a Dalit woman who died after she was assaulted and allegedly gang-raped in Hathras, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday demanded removal of the district magistrate and an investigation into his role in the entire matter.

Priyanka Gandhi said that according to the family, the district magistrate meted out the worst treatment to them, and asked who was protecting the officer.

In a tweet in Hindi, the Congress leader said, "According to the aggrieved family, the worst treatment meted out to them was by the district magistrate. Who is trying to save him? He should be immediately suspended, and his role in the entire matter should be probed. When the family is demanding a judicial probe, then why is noise over CBI probe and SIT probe is going on."

"If the UP government has even slightly woken up from its slumber, it should listen to the point of view of the family," she said in another tweet.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi met the family Saturday evening and declared that they would fight for ensuring justice to them.

"Yogi Adityanath has to understand his responsibility. He has to understand that wherever injustice happens, we will fight that and stand with the family," Priyanka Gandhi told reporters. "We will fight against injustice, and fight till justice is done."

Rahul Gandhi said, "No power on earth" can stop the voice of this family." Later on Twitter, he said the UP government will not be able to have its way as the entire country has now risen for justice to "this daughter of the nation".

After the Gandhis' visit to the family, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday recommended a CBI probe into the alleged gang-rape and death of the 19-year-old Dalit woman that triggered a nationwide outrage.