New Delhi: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Wednesday, October 14, evening, reached India Gate to join the sit-in protest by the parents of Ankita Bhandari, a woman who was found dead in Uttarakhand in 2022, against the appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Sikkim Governor.
The Uttarakhand Congress has also spoken out against the appointment, alleging Gautam’s name had cropped up in the murder case, even as the state BJP questioned the party’s silence over their MP, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, being accused of sexual harassment by JNU students.
‘Let CBI investigation be concluded’
Meanwhile, Ankita’s father Virendra Singh Bhandari, said, “Dushyant Kumar should be behind bars… I earnestly request the Honorable President not to appoint Dushyant Kumar as Governor until the CBI investigation is concluded.”
His wife, Soni Devi, added, “We were deeply pained when we heard the news on the 12th that he (BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam) has now been named the Governor. I appeal to the Honorable President, who is herself a woman and will surely understand my sentiments, to halt the move to appoint this individual as the Governor until the CBI investigation against him is concluded.”
Attacking the Centre over the decision, Congress MP Pawan Khera said, “You granted them immunity. You aren’t even waiting for the CBI inquiry. What is the pressure to wrap this up so quickly? Who are you shielding? Is there anyone else you need to protect?”
Ankita, who worked as a receptionist at Vanantara resort near Rishikesh, was killed in September 2022 allegedly by the owner, Pulkit Arya who is the son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and his two associates after she refused to yield to pressure to offer “extra services” to a “VIP” guest. The trio has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
The case hogged the political spotlight over allegations that an unidentified VIP was linked to the crime. Bhandari’s family and activists have demanded an investigation into the alleged VIP angle.
Gautam’s name has come up time and again in the case. However, he has denied any involvement.
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