Ankita Bhandari case: "BJP government just picks one of those names and makes him the Guv": Congress MP Kumari Selja

Congress leader and AICC in-charge for Uttarakhand, Kumari Selja, launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the appointment of a leader whose name has surfaced in connection with the Ankita Bhandari case as a Governor, stating that the move demonstrates a complete disregard for democracy and justice.

Congress MP and AICC in-charge for Uttarakhand, Kumari Selja, launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the appointment of a leader whose name has surfaced in connection with the Ankita Bhandari case as a Governor, stating that the move demonstrates a complete disregard for democracy and justice. Hitting out at the ruling dispensation, Kumari Selja said, "Congress was actually the first party to raise Ankita Bhandari's case, and our leaders brought it up. Her family has been pleading for justice ever since, and the Congress party has stood by them. In Uttarakhand, there was this case of Ankita Bhandari that shook the entire state and made everyone wonder how something like this could even happen. And then names that came up, and that are still coming up- there's a CBI investigation going on too, and some things have become public that include a few names. Today, the BJP government just picks one of those names and makes him the Governor."

Questioning the intent behind assigning constitutional roles to individuals facing public scrutiny, she asserted, "So you can see that people don't believe in democracy or justice anymore, and they certainly don't have any faith in this government, and they shouldn't. What made you feel the need to pick out people whose names are coming up and make them Governors?" Accusing the government of attempting to shield individuals through high-profile appointments, the Congress leader added, "That might be why you want to give them immunity and legal protection, so no action can be taken against them. And if you're doing it the way you did by making them governor, it sends an even stronger message to the public. There's no solid evidence that they're definitely involved in this. You only tried to protect them and made him a Governor because of that. But the Congress party has stood by them from the very beginning—by their family—and by a daughter seeking justice."

Reiterating the party's steadfast support for the victim's family, Kumari Selja concluded, "The Congress party has raised this issue before. They've raised it strongly. Yesterday, Rahul, Priyanka, and some of our other leaders went there with their families to stand in solidarity with them. But instead of giving them justice, the government decided it was better to just remove them from there." Delhi Police on Thursday morning detained Ankita Bhandari's parents and several opposition leaders during a sit-in protest at India Gate.

Later, the family of Ankita Bhandari made a fresh appeal for justice while raising concerns over the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Governor of Sikkim. Speaking to ANI after an early-morning police action in the national capital, Ankita's parents demanded that the gubernatorial appointment be kept on hold pending a thorough investigation into the unresolved allegations surrounding the case.

Ankita's father expressed deep concern over the recent political appointment and issued an ultimatum to the authorities. "Our main issue is that the name of Dushyant Kumar Gautam has come up, and the government has appointed him as the Governor of Sikkim," he said, warning that "If our concerns are not addressed within 24 hours, the people of Uttarakhand will come out onto the streets."

The family demanded the immediate public disclosure of location details and call records for both Ajay Kumar and Dushyant Kumar spanning September 18-19, 2022. Appealing for continued support from citizens across the country, Ankita's mother emphasised the broader implications of their fight.

"I just want justice for my daughter, and the appointment of the person who has been made Governor should be put on hold. Just as you supported me and my daughter Ankita earlier, I request you to continue standing with me. This fight is not just for my daughter; it is a fight for everyone's daughters," said her mother. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also urged President Droupadi Murmu to reconsider the appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim until the investigation into the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case is completed.

In a post on X, Gandhi alleged that the question of the identity of the VIP linked to the case remained unanswered even four years after the incident, citing what he described as the slow pace of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe. Ankita was murdered on September 18, 2022, and her body was recovered from the Chilla Canal on September 24, 2022. (ΑΝΙ)