Uma Bharati on Friday became the first senior BJP politician to speak out against aspects of the Hathras horror, urging chief minister Yogi Adityanath to end the siege of the victim’s family and allow politicians and the media to meet them.
The incident has “hit the image of your government and the BJP”, the saffron-robed former chief minister told the saffron-robed incumbent.
“Humne abhi Ram mandir ka shilanyas kiya hai tatha aage desh ne Ramrajya laane ka dawa kiya hai. Kintu iss ghatna par police ki sandehpurn karwaiye se aapki @UPGovt, tatha @BJP4India ki chavi par aanch aayi hai (We have just laid the foundation stone for the Ram temple and promised to bring Ramrajya. But the police’s suspicious actions have hit the image of your government and the BJP),” Uma tweeted on Friday evening.
The victim’s father has alleged that the police have confined the family at their home and taken away their phones, and thrashed him when he sought to step out.
“There is no rule to my knowledge that says a family can’t meet anybody because of an SIT (special investigation team) probe. Doing this will bring the SIT probe itself under suspicion,” Uma, admitted at a Rishikesh hospital after testing Covid-positive, said.
“I’m restless in this corona ward. Had I not been coronavirus-positive, I too would have been sitting with the family. I will definitely meet them once I’m discharged.”
The firebrand Uma, a leader of the Ram temple movement who was acquitted in the demolition case on Wednesday, said she could not remain silent at what was happening.
“She (the victim) was the daughter of a Dalit family. She was cremated in a hurry by the police and now the family and the village are under siege by the police,” she said.
“At first I thought I should not say anything because you (Adityanath) must be taking action. However, the manner in which the police have laid siege to the village and the victim’s family is worrisome, no matter what the argument in its favour may be.”
She urged Adityanath not to ignore her request, stressing she was a “senior” and “like an elder sister”.
