Reacting strongly to the Uttarakhand police’s decision to file chargesheet against the woman who had accused BJP MLA Mahesh Negi of sexual harassment, the Uttarakhand Congress has said that the incident reflects the sorry state of things in Uttarakhand.
Launching a blistering attack on the Trivendra Singh Rawat government, the spokesperson of Uttarakhand Congress, Garima Dasauni said that all the evidence, witnesses and circumstances indicate that the MLA Negi exploited the woman. She said that it is surprising that neither the BJP party nor the police have taken any punitive action against BJP MLA. Dasauni added that the entire episode shows the character of the BJP and has exposed its real face. Questioning the silence of CM Trivendra Singh Rawat, Speaker of Uttarakhand assembly Premchand Agarwal and the president of Uttarakhand BJP, Banshidhar Bhagat on the issue, the Congress leader said that the silence of these stalwarts tells the real story. She added that the woman who has accused Negi of harassment is consistently demanding a DNA test which is being ignored by the CM Rawat who also holds the home portfolio. Dasauni said that it is surprising that the speaker has not suspended the membership of the MLA and the BJP chief Bhagat has not taken any action against Negi.
The Congress spokesperson said that the decision to file chargesheet on the blackmailing case on the woman and taking back the chargesheet within 15 hours shows that the police are under immense pressure in this high profile case. She said that the BJP government has faced flak in the entire episode and its credibility has come under cloud. Dasauni said that the Mahesh Negi episode has also taken the air out of the lofty slogan ‘ Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ and the rhetoric of zero tolerance on corruption. Equating the Mahesh Negi case with the incident involving the former general secretary organisation, Sanjay Kumar in which a BJP worker had accused Kumar of exploitation, Dasauni said that BJP leadership has protected both the accused.
Wednesday, 18 November 2020 | PNS | Dehradun
