Met family of Hathras victim to let them know they are not alone: Rahul Gandhi

Patiala (Punjab) [India], October 6 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said Hathras incident was a major tragedy and he went to meet the family of the victim of torture and alleged gangrape because he wanted them to know that they are not alone.
"Yogi Aditynath is entitled to his opinion, he can imagine what he wants, but what I saw was a lovely girl brutalised and killed, and her family threatened and subjugated," Gandhi said at a press conference here.
He was responding to queries from the media about UP Police registering cases for criminal conspiracy on Hathras incident.
Gandhi said he saw a tragedy in the incident and the UP Chief Minister "should also have had the decency to do so".
Asked by a reporter about him and Priyanka Gandhi being "manhandled" by UP Police on their way to Hathras to meet the family of the victim, he said his getting a little push was "not a big deal".
"Our work is to protect people, stand with farmers. This is a government which will give us a push, use sticks if we stand with farmers. We will bear it. The family (of Hathras victim) got unimaginable jolt," he said answering a query from a reporter.
"People, who have daughters, will understand it. You might not understand the rape aspect because that is something that Indian women have to deal with, you will certainly understand the murder aspect. Suppose someone killed your son and then when you ask for justice, they locked open your house and then DM came to your house and kicked you and threatened you and told you that if you open your mouth, the entire state of UP will sort you out and then told you - don't worry, all these protestors, they will go away, Rahul Gandhi will go away, but, we will be here. Now, you get a feeling, get a sense of how you would feel, that is how that family felt. That is why I want to tell, because I wanted that family to know that they are not alone," Gandhi said.
Answering another question, he lauded the spirit of Punjabis and said he had learnt a lot from Punjab.
"Punjabi should see my actions and I can tell you, if you look at my political career, you can see my actions. Don't look at my words. I came to Punjab and I have learnt a lot from the Punjabi people. In fact, if you want to ask me, you have given me more than I have given you. So, I have in a sense, owe a debt to you.So, in my mind, I believe that the people of this state, they have a particular spirit that spirit has taught me quite a lot." he said.
Gandhi said his grandmother Indira Gandhi was protected by a Sikh when she lost elections in 1977.
"I remember and this has never left my system, in my mind ever, it will never leave. I remember when in 1977, my grandmother lost an election, there was no one in my house, nobody, but, there was a Sikh in my house. She was protected by Sikhs in 1977, I will never forget that. So, I have in my mind, it is a strange thing, but, there is a debt that I feel, I owe the people of Punjab. In a similar way, I feel I owe a debt to the people of Tamil Nadu, I don't know why, but, I have that feeling inside," he said.
Gandhi said if injustice is done to Punjab, he will be on the side of the state.
"Look at my actions. When I see some injustice is being done, I feel for that person, instinctively. If you see one strong man beating a weak man, automatically, I am on the side of the weak. This may be of feeling. In fact, this is why I get beaten up so much in politics. It might be a feeling that every time I am also thinking myself, why, but I have that inside. If I feel that injustice is being done to Punjab, I will be standing on the Punjab side, no matter what. If I feel injustice is being done to the Dalit Girl in UP, I will go there, I will get 2-3 lathis, no problem, that is my nature. That is what I have been taught, I don't know any other way and frankly, I can see right now, that my political path would have been much easier If I didn't have this. It is there, how can I take it out. That's why people of Punjab should trust me," he said.
Rejecting the suggestion that the Central Government was able to take unilateral decisions because of weak opposition, Gandhi on said "give me free press and other key institutions and this (Narendra Modi) government will not last long."
"If the entire architecture of institutional architecture is captured, then to say the opposition is weak and that's not really a correct statement. Give me a free press, give me institutions that are free and the government will not last, I don't have that. I can prove, for an example the Rafale deal. I don't show it," Gandhi said.
He said media was also not doing its job properly.
"At certain level, frankly you are also not doing your job and if it's okay for you to blame the opposition and say well you know the opposition is weak but my friend you are also walking into slavery. You are also walking into a place, where you will become very uncomfortable. I am fighting for it, you in your own way, I am sure, are also fighting but, it is a bigger thing that has happened," he said.