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BJP reacts to Congress youth wing leader's expulsion: ‘Sack woman instead of…’
Assam Youth Congress president Angkita Dutta accused Srinivas BV of physically harassing her and using abusive words during the Congress’s plenary session.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday hit out at the Congress party for expelling a youth wing leader who had alleged harassment by Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief Srinivas BV. Calling Congress's ‘ladki hun, lad sakti hun’ slogan hollow, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said that the manner in which the complainant, Angkita Dutta, has been sacked is “uninspiring for women.”
“This is Congress’s model of women empowerment! Sack the woman who alleged harassment instead of providing a platform to hear her grievances. The manner in which Angkita Dutta has been removed from the Congress is uninspiring for women,” he said in a tweet.
Malviya also said, “Ladki hun, lad sakti hun is a hollow slogan.”
Congress on Friday expelled Youth Congress’s Assam unit chief Angkita Dutta for six years for “anti-party activities”, days after she alleged harassment by Srinivas BV and another IYC functionary Vardhan Yadav.
"Hon'ble Congress President has expelled Dr. Angkita Dutta, President Assam Pradesh Youth Congress, from the primary membership of the party, for six years, for her anti-party activities, with immediate effect," Congress general secretary Tariq Anwar said in a release.
Dutta accused Srinivas BV of being “sexist, chauvinistic and outraging a woman’s modesty”. In a police complaint filed on Wednesday, she alleged that Srinivas BV has been harassing her, physically and mentally, for six months by making sexist comments and threatening her with consequences if she complained against him to top Congress leaders.
“He heckled me holding my arm, pushing and pulling and threatening me using slang words, saying he will ruin my career in the Congress if I complained against him to the high office bearers of the party,” said Dutta’s complaint, a copy of which HT has seen.
The Congress’s Assam unit had issued a show cause notice to Dutta asking her to explain her conduct despite assurances from party leadership that her grievances would be addressed.
Dutta had tweeted: "When previous IYC president Keshav Kumar had sexually harassed and because of #MeToo came out. He was compelled to remove. Now despite being mentally harassed and discriminated by B V Srinivas for 6 months. I have been told to keep mum and no enquiry is initiated."
"Honestly I am aware this could lead to an end of my political career. If this is the price I have to pay, so be it. About me meeting some BJP leader, one is welcome to check CCTV footage of home and office where you will probably see me reading trolls my colleagues are spreading," she tweeted on Friday.
