DMK to hold candle light vigil for Hathras victim on Monday

DMK MP and chief of Women’s Wing Kanimozhi will on Monday lead a candle light march towards Raj Bhavan here on Monday seeking justice for the 19-year-old Dalit girl who was allegedly gang-raped by upper caste men in Hathras in Uttar Pradesh.

While announcing the candlelight vigil, DMK President M K Stalin also demanded that the Uttar Pradesh government tender an unconditional apology to former Congress President Rahul Gandhi who was pushed to the ground by policemen during an argument. He also condemned the UP police’s behaviour towards Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border on Saturday.

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“The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh should take full responsibility for the cover-up in the Hathras incident and for the behaviour of the state police towards Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. Union Home Minister Amit Shah should also make his stand clear on the incident. The UP government should ask for a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge on the incident,” Stalin said.

He also said that the police’s behaviour towards Rahul Gandhi should be referred to the Privileges Committee of the Lok Sabha as he is a member of the House. Stalin also alleged that the safety of minorities, women and people belonging to Scheduled Caste was a question mark in Uttar Pradesh.

Stalin announced that Kanimozhi, as head of the DMK’s women’s wing, will lead a candlelight march from Rajiv Gandhi statue in Guindy to Raj Bhavan on Monday. The DMK president will flag off the march. In a separate statement, Kanimozhi asked members of the women’s wing to participate in the candlelight march.

"The Uttar Pradesh Government should correct its mistakes and ensure justice for the woman….it should also publicly apologise to Rahul Gandhi and the Centre should issue directions to the UP government on this matter," Stalin added.