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Congress vs Assam CM over harassment case: ‘unfair to blame me for lack of…’
A harassment case against Youth Congress chief has triggered a war of words between the Congress party and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
After a team of Assam police left for Karnataka to investigate the harassment charges against Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief Srinivas BV, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Sunday said chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has become “infamous for his antics to stay in news”. Dismissing the allegations against Srinivas as “propaganda”, Surjewala asked not to pay attention to Sarma as he is “trying to outbid” Union home minister Amit Shah to his post.
“The turncoat CM of Assam who is trying to outbid Amit Shah to his post has now become infamous for his antics to stay in news...We reject this propaganda completely. Sometimes he wants to arrest Pawan Khera, sometimes he wants to arrest Srinivas BV,” Surjewala told a press conference.
“Perhaps it is to save the ignominy that Mr Modi was trying to arrest him once for Saradha Scam and Louis Berger Scam. That is why he defected to BJP. Reject him, don't pay any attention to him,” he added.
Responding to Surjewala's statement, Sarma said the Assam Police was acting in accordance with the law and that it was unfair to blame him for the "lack of a safe environment within the Congress party for female workers."
"Please advise the accused to cooperate with the legal process," he said in a tweet along with a copy of a notice issued to Srinivas asking him to appear before Dispur Police Station before 11am on May 2.
A case was registered on Saturday by Dispur Police Station based on the complaint filed by Angkita Dutta, former President of Assam Youth Congress, against Srinivas BV. In her complaint, Angkita alleged Srinivas BV of "harassing" and "discriminating" against her for the past 6 months after she levelled sexual harassment charges against former IYC president Keshav Kumar.
The case was registered under sections 509, 294, 341, 352, 354, 354 A (iv) and 506 of the Indian Penal Code and under section 67 of The Information Technology Act.
Congress, meanwhile, expelled Dutta from the primary membership of the party for six years for “anti-party activities”.
"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," Tariq Anwar, member-secretary of the Disciplinary Action Committee of the Congress, said in an order.
Hitting out at the Congress, BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya tweeted: "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.
Malviya also said, "Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon is a hollow slogan."
The Congress had come up with the slogan in the run-up to last year's Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.
