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AAP women's wing protests against BJP over Uttarakhand teen murder
Ankita Bhandari was found dead in the Cheela canal close to Rishikesh on Saturday, six days after her parents found her missing from her room.
The women's wing of the Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday held a protest here against the BJP over the murder of a 19-year-old receptionist in Uttarakhand and demanded the "strictest punishment" for her killers.
Ankita Bhandari was found dead in the Cheela canal close to Rishikesh on Saturday, six days after her parents found her missing from her room. She worked at the Vanantara resort in Pauri district's Yamkeshwar block owned by Haridwar BJP leader Vinod Arya's son Pulkit Arya. Pulkit and two other employees have been arrested in the case.
In New Delhi, the AAP's women's wing members had planned to take out a protest march and gherao the BJP headquarters to demand justice for the victim. They were stopped by the police, who put up barricades near the AAP headquarters.
The protest was led by AAP's state Mahila Morcha in-charge Sarita Singh, its president Nirmala Kumari and organisation secretary Jasbir Kaur, the party said.
Party spokesperson Reena Gupta also participated in the protest, it added.
"The AAP demands justice for Ankita and all other girls who have been subjected to such atrocities at the hands of the BJP," Gupta said.
The AAP leader demanded the "strictest possible punishment" for the killers following a trial of the case by a fast-track court.
A huge political row has erupted with the teen's murder in Uttarakhand. The state police on Friday arrested Pulkit Arya from Haridwar, along with the manager and the assistant manager of his resort for allegedly killing Bhandari.
Uttarakhand Police chief Ashok Kumar on Saturday said the victim was being pressured by the resort-owner to provide "special services" to guests.
Leading the AAP's protest in the national capital, Sarita Singh said, "BJP leaders are the biggest threat to the safety of women today. The BJP-ruled Uttarakhand government's response to Ankita Bhandari's murder reeks of inaction and insensitivity."
