Police's suspicious actions in Hathras case dented image of BJP, UP govt: Uma Bharti tells Yogi

Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti on Friday raised doubts over the behaviour of UP Police in the Hathras incident and asked state CM Yogi Adityanath to allow mediapersons and politicians to meet the victim's family.

In a series of tweets, the leader said that as per her knowledge, there's no rule that the family cannot meet anyone during SIT probe, adding that the investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Hathras incident has dented the image of BJP, UP government and CM Yogi.

"To my knowledge, there is no such rule that the family could not meet anyone during the SIT investigation. With this, the investigation of the SIT itself will come under doubt."

"You are the ruler with a very clean image. I request you to allow media persons and political parties to meet the aggrieved family," she added.

Bharti, who is under treatment for COVID-19 in AIIMS Rishikesh, took to twitter and said had she not been infected, she would have met the family of the victim.

"I am very restless in Corona Ward. If I had not been corona positive, I would have been sitting with that family in that village. When I will be discharged from AIIMS Rishikesh, I will definitely meet the victim's family in Hathras. I am senior to you and your elder sister. I urge you not to invalidate my suggestion," she wrote.

Calling Yogi an "administrator with a clean image", Bharti said she is 'forced to speak' after police laid siege to the village and the victim's family.

Notably, several parties and organisations have been demanding justice for the alleged Hathras gang-rape victim.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Youth Congress members, Left parties, members of Bhim Army and student organisations, CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI leader D Raja staged protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday suspended Hathras superintendent of police (SP), deputy superintendent of police (DSP), station inspector and some other officials over the incident.

The Special Investigation Team, which was set up to look into the case, has submitted an initial report which calls for the suspension of the senior police officials who “mismanaged” the case. The SIT has also asked for a lie-detector test of all involved in the case, including the family members.

The 19-year-old Hathras woman died at Delhi's Safdarjung hospital on September 29, a fortnight after allegedly being gang-raped. All the four accused in the incident have been arrested.