'What Jungle Raj is This?' TMC Says Its MPs Stopped 1.5 km from Hathras Rape Victim's Home, Manhandled

The TMC on Friday alleged that its leaders were stopped by the Uttar Pradesh Police from meeting the family members of the Hathras gangrape victim. The delegation comprising MPs Derek O’Brien, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Pratima Mondal and former MP Mamata Thakur, were stopped nearly 1.5 km from the victim’s house in UP’s Hathras, the party said.

“We were peacefully going to meet the victim’s family members when suddenly we were intercepted, misbehaved with and manhandled by the police. It is shocking. We were stopped and before we could explain – the policemen pushed Derek O’Brien and Pratima Mondal. They fell down and received injuries,” Mamata Bala Thakur told News18.

“Uttar Pradesh has turned into a Jungle Raj and there is no law and order situation in the state. The male police officials touched us inappropriately and didn’t allow us to meet the grieving family members,” she said.

“We are sent by Mamata Banerjee to meet the family of the alleged rape victim to offer our condolences. Though we introduced ourselves, we weren’t allowed to meet them and were pushed by police. If they can’t respect a woman lawmaker, imagine the condition of commoners,” Mondal added.

Without naming the BJP, TMC leader Firhad Hakim termed them “trouble makers”.

“They don’t believe in democracy. They only know violence. I have never seen such a situation before. Everywhere, there is an atmosphere of fear. They stopped Derek from meeting the family members of the victim because they are scared.”

Another TMC MP, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, claimed that they were pushed to the ground.

Notably, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were on Thursday arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police after they were stopped from marching towards Hathras to meet the family members of the Dalit woman allegedly raped by four men on September 14.

Responding to TMC leaders’statements, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh, said, “The TMC leaders went there to do drama. People in Uttar Pradesh believe in BJP and in next polls too they will vote for the BJP. In Bengal also we will form the government in 2021. People will reject the TMC.”

On Thursday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the Hathras incident. “I have no words to condemn the barbaric & shameful incident at Hathras involving a young Dalit girl. My deepest condolences to the family. More shameful is the forceful cremation without the family’s presence or consent, exposing those who use slogans & lofty promises for votes,” she wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, CPI (M) leader Md Salim described TMC leader’s visit to Hathras as a ‘photo-opportunity’. He tweeted, “The situation in Bengal would have been much different if these #TMC MPs introspected on women’s safety in their own state instead of doing Photo-ops in #Hathras in such a tragic moment.”

His other tweet reads, “What drama are #TMC MPs doing in #Hathras in such a tragic time? Why do these MPs go into hibernation when daughters in Bengal are raped in broad daylight? How many of TMC MPs visited families of tribal girls who were raped in #Raiganj & #Jalpaiguri?”