Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is in Punjab to protest against new farm laws, today said “it’s no big deal” that he was pushed and he fell to the ground last week during a tussle with police when he was marching to Hathras in Uttar Pradesh to meet the family of the 20-year-old victim allegedly gang raped and tortured in the UP district.
Taking a dig at the government, the ex-Congress chief told reporters this afternoon: “The entire country is being pushed to corner and being beaten up. What’s the big deal if I was pushed. It’s our job to protect the country, we have to stand with the farmers. The government is such that if we stand against them, we will be pushed. Dhakka kha lenge, lathi kha lenge (we will bear the push and the lathis).”
“Jo unimaginable dhakka laga… wo us parivar ko laga…… (The actually push that was felt… was felt by the victim’s family).”
“People who have daughters will understand this. Do you have a daughter? If not, you will understand the murder aspect of the (Hathras) case. Imagine, someone kills your son and locks you up in your house. The District Magistrate threatens you and tells you to not open your mouth. What if they tell you: ‘Rahul Gandhi will go but UP government will be here’. That’s why I went there so they don’t feel alone. I am here for all the women who have faced sexual violence,” Mr Gandhi said, talking to reporters.
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the victim’s family on Saturday, four days after she died at a hospital in Delhi. They were allowed to go to Hathras, two days after their march to the UP district was thwarted.