PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the Congress of playing petty politics in the Ankita Bhandari murder case. Cabinet minister Rekha Arya said that ensuring justice to Bhandari is an issue related to the sentiments of Uttarakhand and that exploiting this case for political gains is unfortunate. “By staging demonstrations in Delhi and Dehradun, the Congress attempted to grab headlines, instead of which the party should clarify whether it aims at ensuring justice for the victim or regaining its lost political ground in Uttarakhand.
Before talking about the dignity and safety of women, the Congress should clarify why its leader Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi remained silent after action was taken on allegation so sexual abuse of JNU students by its MP Ngomcha Bimol Akoijam. Rahul Gandhi talks of women’s rights and against patriarchy while Priyanka Gandhi gave the ‘Ladki Hun Lad Sakti Hun’ slogan. The Congress leadership should clarify its answerability when it comes to serious allegations levelled against its own MP. Standards of women’s security should not be changed according to political convenience. The final decision on such allegations should be based on the investigation and legal procedure,” Arya said.
The minister said that the Congress should clarify whether it is seeking justice for Bhandari or using the sensitive case as an excuse for political opposition. The President Droupadi Murmu has appointed Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the governor of Sikkim through a constitutional process. Running a campaign against the decision by linking it with the Bhandari case is not proper, she said.The BJP State spokeswoman Anukriti Gusain said that the Congress is indulging in misleading and irresponsible politics in the Bhandari case.
Criticising the stance of the opposition, she said that the State government has been sensitive and transparent while pursuing the best legal procedure in the matter since the first day. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami did not simply give an assurance but also ensured concrete action due to which the accused were sentenced to life imprisonment, she said. The State government always ensured immediate, strict and decisive action in this case whether it be the arrest of the accused, the formation of a special investigation team or its actions due to which the court sentenced them to life imprisonment, Gusain said.
