Congress party leader Priyanka Gandhi has demanded the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Yogi Adityanath for denying the Hathras gang-rape victim of "every single right" even in death. The family of the deceased has alleged that they were not allowed to take her body home and were forced to cremate her in the wee hours.
Launching a scathing attack, Congress' Uttar Pradesh General Secretary Priyanka maintained that the government has no moral right to continue in power and accused the administration of becoming complicit in the case.
"I was on the phone with the Hathras victim’s father when he was informed that his daughter had passed away. I heard him cry out in despair. He had just been telling me that all he wanted was justice for his child. Last night he was robbed of the chance to take his daughter home for the last time and perform her last rites", Priyanka said in a series of tweets.
The 19-year old woman from the margianalised Dalit community - people of lowest strata of the Indian caste system - succumbed to her grievous injuries at a Delhi hospital on Tuesday night. The four accused have been arrested by the police.
The Congress Party even questioned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's and other women leaders' silence on the issue.
The incident that took place on 14 September has triggered political outrage in the state and other parts of the country. Opposition Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also termed the government insensitive and said that there's "no hope left".
State Chief Yogi Adityanath has since constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the gang-rape incident and has asked the panel to submit a report within 7 days. He has also directed the case to a fast-track court.