BJP Leader, Right Wing Outfits Rally in Support of Hathras Accused
Among those taking out rallies in support of Thakurs accused in Hathras case are BJP leader and right-wing outfits.
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Camera: Athar Rather
Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma
Among those who are rallying in support of the Thakurs accused in the Hathras gangrape-assault case are members of right-wing groups like Bajrang Dal, RSS and Karni Sena and a local BJP leader. The members of these right-wing outfits are also part of ‘upper caste organisations’ like Rashtriya Savarna Sangathan, Kshatriya Mahasabha etc.
On Sunday, 4 October, hundreds of people, including the family of one of the accused, gathered at the house of BJP leader and former Hathras MLA Rajveer Singh Pehelwan to demand “ justice for the four accused in the case.”
Welcoming the CBI probe ordered by CM Yogi Adityanath, Rajveer Singh said, "Now the truth will come out."
Asked about what he means by "truth", he said, "It is unfortunate that in a place like Hathras, it was falsely projected that such a heinous rape has happened here."
Singh said “members of all communities” were part of the gathering which was held at his “personal space that didn’t require any permission from the authorities.”
WA Broadcast List, Common Demand: Why Several Savarna Outfits Came Together For Hathras Accused
On Friday, 3 October, The Quint met a group of people near the Hathras victim’s village who demanded an independent enquiry and claimed that the four accused were innocent since Uttar Pradesh ADGP himself has said that there was “no proof of rape.”
The Quint had published a list of questions for the UP police after they claimed “no rape” based on absence of semen in her swab samples. You can read them here.
Aman Rana, who has a Facebook profile picture in a t-shirt with ‘Bajrang Dal’ written on it, told The Quint that he has a broadcast list of contacts on WhatsApp with whom he coordinates about when and how to organise in support of the accused.
Rana said people from at least 20 villages gather every day in Hathras to demand the release of the accused. He said, “We don’t have one organisation but members of several outfits like Kshatriya Mahasabha, Karni Sena, Savarna Samaj Sangathan Rashtriya Savarna Sangathans and other upper caste groups have come together to ask for justice.”
Two days ago despite prohibitory orders in the area, a mahapanchayat was held about 2 km away from the victim’s village. One of the members who led this mahapanchayat claims to be a former member of the RSS on his Facebook profile.
Meanwhile, the victim’s family told The Quint that they are constantly living under fear in their Thakur-dominated village. “ Will they let us live if the four accused actually get hanged?” asks the 19-year-old Dalit girl’s mother.
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