PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Demanding reversal of the Union government’s decision to appoint Dushyant Gautam as the governor of Sikkim, the Congress party has threatened to launch a massive agitation on the issue.
Interacting with the media at a press conference held in the backdrop of the early morning detention of the parents of Ankita Bhandari in New Delhi, all the senior leaders of Uttarakhand Congress said at Congress Bhawan here on Thursday that appointment of Gautam as governor is an insult to the people of Uttarakhand.
Pradesh Congress Committee president, Ganesh Godiyal said that Ankita in her chat with a friend had said that she is under pressure to give ‘ special service’ to a VIP. He said after the murder of Ankita and arrest of the accused, the wife of a former BJP MLA accused Gautam was the VIP involved in the case. Godiyal said following a massive public movement, the State government ordered a CBI probe in the case which is still underway. He claimed that in order to provide legal immunity to Gautam, the government has made him governor of Sikkim.
Former chief minister Harish Rawat said that Ankita Bhandari chose death over compromising on her self-respect. “ She gave her life to safeguard the respect of women of Uttarakhand and now it is our responsibility that the case is taken to its logical conclusion so that Ankita gets justice,’’ he said. Rawat said that it is unfortunate that the poor parents of Ankita who were demanding justice were detained by the police in New Delhi. He expressed gratitude to the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi for coming out in support of the parents of Ankita Bhandari. Rawat said that he is contacting leaders of all the political parties and the members of the civil society to register their protest on the appointment of Gautam as governor.
The chairman of the election campaign committee Pritam Singh said that the people of the State, especially women will not tolerate the insult done to them by the BJP government. Chairman of the election management committee Harak Singh Rawat said that appointment of Gautam is a murder of democracy and constitution.
Cong leaders hold protest outside Lok Bhawan
DEHRADUN: The leaders of the Uttarakhand Congress organised a surprise protest outside Lok Bhawan on Thursday afternoon. Led by the PCC president Ganesh Godiyal, former chief minister Harish Rawat and senior leaders Pritam Singh and Harak Singh Rawat, the Congress workers tried to march inside the Lok Bhawan to submit a memorandum directed to the President of India through the governor.
The Congress demanded that the decision to appoint Dushyant Gautam as the governor of Sikkim should be immediately reversed. The police however detained all the leaders and workers after a minor shuffle.
