Hathras rape victim burned like orphan under police force: Sonia

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh Wednesday over the brutal torture and gangrape of a 20-year-old in Hathras, saying she was "killed by a ruthless government" that was trying to "hush up the matter". The state has been under huge criticism and public anger has been bubbling up over case, which has a strong caste angle.

Congress chief said that the 19-year-old Hathras gangrape victim was burned like orphans under police coercion.

हाथरस में मासूम लड़की के साथ जो हैवानियत हुई, वो हमारे समाज पर कलंक है।

हाथरस की निर्भया की मृत्यु नहीं हुई है, उसे मारा गया है- एक निष्ठुर सरकार द्वारा, उसके प्रशासन द्वारा, उत्तरप्रदेश सरकार की उपेक्षा द्वारा।

कांग्रेस अध्यक्षा श्रीमती सोनिया गांधी का वक्तव्य:- pic.twitter.com/1ER1DpCWYP

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 30, 2020

Gandhi said, 'Nirbhaya of Hathras' did not die, she was murdered by the neglect of a ruthless government, the administration, and the Uttar Pradesh government."

In a video statement posted on the Congress's official Twitter handle this evening, Sonia Gandhi said: "There was an attempt to hush up the matter. The girl was not given timely treatment and a daughter is no longer among us. I want to say that Hathras' Nirbhaya has not died, she has been killed -- by a ruthless government, by its administration and by the UP government's ignorance."

"When she was alive, she was not heard, she was not protected, and after her death she was deprived of her home. She was not handed over to her family and a crying mother was not even given the chance to bid goodbye to her daughter. This is a big sin," Mrs Gandhi said.

Accusing the state police of "forcible" cremation, she said the young woman was robbed of dignity even in her death and was "cremated like an orphan".

"What kind of justice is this? What kind of a government is this? You think that you can do anything and the country will just keep looking? No, the country will speak out against your injustice," Mrs Gandhi said.