Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met the parents of Ankita Bhandari,who were protesting at India Gate demanding justice for their daughter, and expressed solidarity with them.
Anikita Bhandari was an employee at a resort in Uttarakhand, who was murdered in September 2022.
Bhandari's parents staged a protest near India Gate, demanding that Dushyant Kumar Gautam's appointment as the Sikkim governor be put on hold until the ongoing CBI probe into their daughter's murder case is complete. Gandhi was accompanied by his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other Congress leaders.
After meeting the parents, in a post on X, Rahul Gandhi attacked the BJP and said that for four years, Bhandari's family has not received justice, but "a 'VIP' accused has certainly been rewarded with protection and a constitutional position".
Bhandari's parents have alleged BJP leader Gautam's involvement in the case. Gautam was appointed the governor of Sikkim on Monday.
"Where rapists and murderers are welcomed with garlands and criminals are honoured with the power of authority - no hope can be expected from such a misogynistic BJP either.
"Today, Ankita's parents, carrying the plea for justice for their daughter, are sitting at India Gate, miles away from their home.
I and the Congress Party stand with them - in their grief as well as in this fight for justice," Gandhi said in his post.
Ankita’s mother broke down while appealing to the Centre and President Droupadi Murmu not to proceed with the appointment before the probe concludes.
“Dushyant Gautam should not be appointed governor until the CBI investigation is complete,” she said.
Her father alleged that an unidentified VIP had played a key role in his daughter’s murder and claimed that Gautam was responsible. Gautam has denied them and initiated defamation proceedings against those making the accusations.
The family has sought an appointment with President Murmu to raise its concerns. They warned that they would stage a hunger strike outside the Uttarakhand chief minister’s office at the Secretariat in Dehradun if their demand was not met.
What is the Ankita Bhandari case
Ankita, 19, worked as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh. She was killed on September 18, 2022, and her body was recovered from the Chilla canal four days later.
Resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two accomplices were convicted in the case and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, allegations surrounding the identity and role of an alleged VIP have continued to draw political attention.
The protest comes amid opposition from the Uttarakhand Congress to Gautam’s appointment. The party has alleged that his name surfaced in connection with the case and claimed that the appointment was intended to shield him, arguing that a governor cannot be subjected to criminal proceedings while holding office.
Gautam, a former BJP national general secretary, had served as the party’s in-charge for Uttarakhand.
(With inputs from PTI)