Bhim Army chief meets family of Hathras victim, demands 'Y' security

Lucknow, Oct 04: Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, who was stopped by cops on his way to Hathras, met the family of the Dalit woman who died on Tuesday.

Videos and photos showed the Bhim Army chief marching with others towards Hathras to meet the victim's family.

"I demand 'Y security' for the family or I'll take them to my house, they aren't safe here. We want an inquiry to be done under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge", he said.

"If 'Y Plus' category security cover can be provided to actor Kangana Ranaut, than why can it not be provided to the family of the victim?," he said, adding that if his demands are not met, he will 'gherao' the Vidhan Sabha.

Azad on Thursday demanded President's Rule in Uttar Pradesh, alleging failure of constitutional machinery in the state over crimes against dalits.

"I am sitting at my house on a dharna, injustice will not be tolerated. In Uttar Pradesh, dalits are being meted out with injustice. The DM and the SSP of Hathras who have been protecting criminals and performing inhuman acts have not been removed yet. How can one expect justice from such unworthy people, he said in a tweet in Hindi.

The visit comes a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi met the family at their home.

The 19-year-old Dalit woman was allegedly raped at a village in Hathras by four men on September 14. After her condition deteriorated, she was referred to the Delhi's Safdarjung hospital where she breathed her last on Tuesday.

She was cremated in the early hours of Wednesday, with her family alleging the local police forced them to conduct the last rites in the dead of the night.

Local police officers, however, had said the cremation was carried out "as per the wishes of the family".