DND crippled as Rahul, Priyanka cavalcade heads to Hathras

New Delhi, Oct 3 : Massive traffic jams were witnessed on the Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway on Saturday afternoon as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s cavalcade moved on the 9.2 km stretch to meet the kin of the 19-year-old Hathras girl who died four days ago following alleged gang-rape by ‘upper-caste men’.
The eight-lane flyway almost came to a standstill as the police closed all exit toll gates of the DND with barricadings all across to stop the movement of Rahul and Congress General Secretary Priyanka — the second such attempt by the Gandhi siblings in a week.
People got stuck on the flyway for more than one-and-a-half hours as each and every vehicle was checked by the police to ensure that Congress leaders could not enter Uttar Pradesh through the stretch that connects Delhi to neighbouring Noida.
Before moving to Hathras, Priyanka on Saturday made it clear that she will meet the victim’s family “even if the police does not allow her to go there”.
Speaking to IANS before leaving the Congress headquarters here along with Rahul in their Toyota Innova vehicle, Priyanka said, “I will visit Hathras at any cost even if the police does not allow us.” Priyanka drove the vehicle with her brother Rahul sitting next to her.