New Delhi, October 15: The Congress on Thursday strongly criticised the detention of Ankita Bhandari’s parents during a protest near India Gate, describing the action as the “height of cowardice and insensitivity” by the Narendra Modi-led government.
The parents of the 19-year-old Uttarakhand woman, who was murdered in 2022, were released early Thursday, hours after being detained while demanding action over the appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim.
During the protest, Ankita’s father issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Centre, demanding that Gautam’s appointment be cancelled. The family has alleged that Gautam played a key role in the circumstances surrounding Ankita’s death, an allegation he has denied.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the detention in a post on X, accusing the government of resorting to state-sponsored oppression instead of addressing the family’s concerns.
Kharge questioned the appointment of a BJP-linked individual to a constitutional position while Ankita’s parents were seeking justice for their daughter. He said detaining grieving parents was shameful and unacceptable.
The Congress president also reaffirmed that his party would continue to fight for justice for Ankita.
According to sources, her parents were released at around 5 am. Her father warned that the family would launch a nationwide agitation if the government failed to meet its demand within 24 hours.
Several Congress leaders were also detained during the protest and subsequently released. Those detained included Pawan Khera, head of the Congress media and publicity department; Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi; Supriya Shrinate, head of the party’s social media department; and Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib.
The family has demanded that Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim Governor be put on hold until the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case is completed.
Ankita, who worked as a receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh, was murdered on September 18, 2022. Her body was recovered from the Chilla canal four days later.
Resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two accomplices were convicted in the murder case and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The case attracted widespread public and political attention following allegations concerning the involvement of an unidentified VIP. Ankita’s family and activists have continued to demand an investigation into this alleged VIP angle.
Gautam has denied the allegations linking him to the case and has initiated defamation proceedings against those making the claims.
The Congress has questioned the timing of his appointment as Governor, arguing that it raises concerns while the CBI investigation remains ongoing. The controversy has intensified demands from the family and opposition leaders for accountability and a thorough investigation.
