India
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of attempting to silence the family of Ankita Bhandari after her parents were allegedly taken into custody at around 4 am while protesting at India Gate in New Delhi. The couple had been demanding that the Centre put on hold the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Gautam as Sikkim Governor until the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) completes its investigation into their daughter’s murder.
Reacting to the incident, Gandhi alleged that the government was suppressing the voices of victims and those seeking accountability. In a post on X, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said, “This is the hallmark of this government: silence the voices of the victims, remove those who ask questions.” He added that the fight for justice would neither be silenced nor stopped.
Gandhi said Ankita’s parents, Virendra Singh Bhandari and Soni Devi, had been sitting peacefully at India Gate without creating any disturbance. According to him, their demand was straightforward: Gautam’s appointment should be deferred until the investigation into the murder of their daughter establishes the facts surrounding the case.
The Congress leader also said he and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had met the couple on Wednesday. He criticised the timing of Gautam’s appointment, arguing that the decision had been taken before the CBI’s findings were made public. The alleged early-morning detention has since become another point of confrontation between the Congress and the BJP.
Why Are Ankita Bhandari’s Parents Opposing Dushyant Gautam’s Appointment?
Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at the Vanantra resort in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district, went missing on September 18, 2022, just weeks after joining the establishment. Her body was recovered from a canal several days later, triggering widespread protests across Uttarakhand and raising questions about the handling of the investigation.
Three men, including resort owner Pulkit Arya, were sentenced to life imprisonment for their roles in the case. However, Ankita’s family has continued to demand a comprehensive investigation into the alleged involvement of a high-profile individual, referred to in public discourse as the “VIP” angle.
The controversy gained renewed attention after a video released in December by Urmila Sanawar, the wife of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore, claimed that the individual referred to as “Gattu” was the VIP in question and identified him as Dushyant Gautam.
Gautam, a former BJP national general secretary, has denied any connection to the case. He approached the Delhi High Court, which directed the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to remove social media posts linking him to the matter. BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia welcomed the court’s order, describing the posts as malicious and baseless.
The BJP has maintained that no investigating agency has named Gautam in connection with Ankita’s murder. The CBI has also not publicly identified any individual as the alleged VIP.
CBI Probe Intensifies Political Debate
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami recommended a CBI investigation on January 9. The agency subsequently took custody of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report, the FIR and other relevant records on February 4. A case was registered against an unidentified VIP, but the findings of the investigation have not been made public.
The family’s demand for clarity has placed Gautam’s appointment at the centre of a political dispute. The Congress argues that the Centre should have waited for the CBI to establish the facts before proceeding with the appointment.
Following the announcement, Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal announced a one-hour silent fast in Dehradun, saying the decision had deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of Uttarakhand. He described Gautam’s appointment as highly objectionable and reiterated the party’s demand for a transparent investigation.
Gautam was appointed Governor of Sikkim earlier this week. Under the constitutional framework, the President appoints state Governors on the advice of the Union government, placing the appointment within the Centre’s sphere of responsibility.
The Congress has pledged to continue supporting Ankita’s family until they receive justice. The party is demanding that the appointment be reconsidered while the CBI investigation remains pending. However, the allegations against Gautam remain unproven, and the agency has not publicly named him in the case.
The controversy has once again brought the demand for accountability in Ankita Bhandari’s murder into the political spotlight, with the family continuing to seek answers about the alleged VIP connection and the investigation’s findings.
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