The sexual abuse allegation of a woman Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker against the state general secretary (organisation) Sanjay Kumar and his subsequent removal by the saffron party has given a stick to the Congress to beat the BJP with just ahead of the crucial urban local body elections.
Stepping up attack on the BJP-left red-faced by the development-the state Congress chief Pritam Singh demanded an inquiry by a sitting judge of High Court (HC) into the case. Addressing the media persons at the state party office on Sunday, he said that the episode has exposed the real face of the party which makes lofty claims about its Chal ( behaviour) and Charitra (character).
Singh said that the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat should explain what action the Government has taken on the complaint of the female party worker who has accused a senior party functionary of sexually abusing her. He wondered why a case has not been filed by police as yet. He also sounded concerned over the security of the complainant.
Referring to the reported statement of the Mahanagar BJP president Vinay Goyal given to the complainant that any woman who enters politics is met with greedy eyes of vultures and these people assume that the woman has come prepared to face all this, Singh said that it shows the true mentality of the party which has given slogan of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.
Meanwhile, Mahila Congress activists took to the streets and torched the effigy of the state government at Astley Hall on the day. The workers shouted slogans against the state BJP general secretary (organisation) Sanjay Kumar and Mahanagar BJP president Vinay Goyal.
The state Congress spokesperson Garima Dasauni said that the statement of Goyal is highly deplorable. “It has cast doubt on the character of every man and woman engaged in the realm of politics. He must make clear what he meant by vultures and supposed readiness of the women coming into politics,” she said.
Urging the women BJP workers and leaders to join Congress if they are feeling insecure in their party, Dasauni said that the shameful news reports of sexual harassment by three senior BJP functionaries in one month has left all shocked. She said that charge of sexual exploitation levelled by 20 women journalists against the former Union Minister M K Akbar, the accusation of rape levelled against senior BJP functionary Shiv Prakash by a woman of West-Bengal and the Sanjay Kumar episode in Uttarakhand are all very shameful and shocking.