Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have been released from detention. The two were detained on their way to Hathras after Rahul Gandhi accused the Uttar Pradesh police of pushing him to the ground and resorting to lathi-charge. His sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, was also accompanying him to meet the family of the woman who was gangraped. The two leaders were marching on the highway between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh after their convoy was stopped on its way to Hathras. The crime has provoked nationwide outrage. The Gandhis sat on the road with hundreds of supporters after the Uttar Pradesh police refused to let them continue. Ahead of the Congress leaders' visit, the UP administration enforced a ban on large gatherings and put up barricades at the borders citing the coronavirus.
Even as Congress workers blocked roads and chanted slogans, the Gandhis' SUV crossed the border, but their convoy was stopped at Greater Noida, at a point that is about 142 km to Hathras. The Gandhis then got off the vehicle and started walking with scores of Congress workers. The reckless behaviour by U.P officials has irked few veteran politicians. NCP chief Sharad Pawar reacted strongly on the issue through a Twitter post. Sharad Pawar took to Twitter and wrote,"Reckless behaviour of UP Police towards @INCIndia leader Shri @RahulGandhi is extremely condemnable. It is reprehensible for those who are supposed to uphold the law to trample upon the democratic values in such a manner.