New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the Centre on Thursday after the parents of Ankita Bhandari were briefly detained during an overnight protest in the national capital, accusing the government of attempting to suppress those seeking accountability in the 2022 murder case.
Ankita’s parents were taken into custody while staging a sit-in near India Gate against the appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim governor. They were freed around 5 am, hours after the detention.
‘Victims’ Voices Being Silenced’
In a post on X, Gandhi said the couple had been detained at 4 am while protesting peacefully and demanding that Gautam not be appointed governor until the CBI investigation into Ankita’s murder was completed.
“4 AM in the morning. While the world was asleep, Ankita Bhandari’s parents were taken into custody. Their crime? They were sitting quietly at India Gate – with burdened shoulders, without any commotion, and simply demanding that Dushyant Gautam should not be made the Governor of Sikkim until the CBI investigation is complete,” he wrote.
Referring to his meeting with the family along with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition said the appointment had been pushed through before the probe had concluded.
“Yesterday, Priyanka and I met these parents. Even before the results of that investigation came in, the appointment was rushed, and the parents asking questions were picked up in the dead of night,” Gandhi said.
“This is the hallmark of this government: silence the voices of the victims, remove those who ask questions,” he added, asserting that “the fight for justice will neither be silenced nor stopped.”
Gandhi also said the Congress would stand with Ankita’s family until justice was delivered, using the hashtag ‘Justice For Ankita Bhandari’, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Ultimatum To Centre
Following their release, Ankita’s father warned that the family would intensify its agitation if the government did not withdraw Gautam’s appointment.
“We give a 24-hour ultimatum to the government for the cancellation of Dushyant’s appointment. Nationwide protests will be launched if the government does not accept our demand,” he told PTI Videos.
The family has alleged that Gautam was involved in Ankita’s death, a charge he has denied. They have demanded that his appointment as governor be kept on hold pending the CBI probe.
Several Congress leaders, including Pawan Khera, Imran Pratapgarhi, Supriya Shrinate and Indian Youth Congress chief Uday Bhanu Chib, were also detained and later released.
Ankita, a resort receptionist near Rishikesh, was murdered on September 18, 2022. Her body was found four days later. Resort owner Pulkit Arya and two others were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The murder case continues to attract political attention because of claims that a VIP was involved. Gautam has rejected the allegations and initiated defamation proceedings. The Congress, however, maintains that his appointment as governor was aimed at protecting him, since a person holding the post cannot be prosecuted while in office.