Rahul Gandhi condoles UP Congress leader's death due to COVID-19, shares video message slamming UP govt

Condoling the demise of former MLC from Uttar Pradesh, Naseeb Pathan, who died of COVID-19, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday shared a video by the late leader in which he had slammed the UP government over its handling of the Hathras incident, and police high handedness against Opposition.

The Wayanad MP, whilst paying tributes to the late leader, said that the video was the "last message" from Pathan and a very important one.

"Congress leader from UP, former MLC and CLP president Naseeb Pathan sahab passed away due to corona. My sympathies are with his family. Before leaving, Naseeb sahab has given a very important message. I am sharing this with you and paying heartfelt tributes to him," the Congress leader tweeted (roughly translated from Hindi). Pathan had passed away on Sunday.

In the video message, which Pathan self-recorded in Medanta Hospital Gurugram, where he was being treated for coronavirus, the former UP Congress leader speaks about the political tussle.

"The way in which police did injustice and atrocities on our former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, party's UP chief Ajay Kumar Lallu, and other senior leaders and workers has angered me. From September 30, I have been infected with Corona and am admitted in Medanta Hospital, Gurugram. The doctors advised me against it, but I felt that I should speak up against it," Pathan says in what is apparently the last message shared by him.

"The way in which injustice was meted out to the girl from the Hathras' Valmiki community, and after that the UP Chief Minister stopped everyone from visiting them. The media kept on struggling whole night, but they were not allowed to go. The DM said to the victim's family that they (media) will go, both of us have to stay here. Suppressing the Opposition's voice is a very dangerous sign, these show that the government will soon be out of power. Such signs are not tolerated by the country and the State, whenever our parties committed such faults we were made to step down," he added.

He also attacked the Centre over the farm laws and said that while the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister had ordered an investigation in the Hathras incident, him not allowing Opposition and others to meet the victim's family was a very "painful move".

Rahul Gandhi was allegedly manhandled, stopped and detained by Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday while he was on his way to Hathras to meet the family of gangrape victim along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Congress leaders.

A case has been registered against the duo, and over 200 others under Section 188, 269 and 270 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Epidemic Act, according to the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police.

However, later on Saturday, both Rahul and Priyanka had met the family of the victim in Hathras and said that Congress' fight for ensuring justice is delivered in the case will continue.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on Saturday announced a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident. It had earlier announced a probe by SIT.

The 19-year-old woman died at Delhi's Safdarjung hospital on September 29. All the four accused in the incident have been arrested.

(ANI)

Also Read: Sanjay Raut slams UP police for manhandling Rahul Gandhi, says gangrape of democracy