Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday wrote a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, pleading with her to reconsider Dushyant Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim’s Governor amid questions looming over the 2022 murder of Uttarakhand receptionist Ankita Bhandari.
The letter, shared publicly on Thursday, mentions that the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Gandhi, demanded that Gautam be prevented from assuming office until the probe into the case is over. He cited the unresolved questions surrounding the alleged involvement of a VIP in Bhandari’s murder and also voiced concerns over the pace of the probe being carried out by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Rahul Gandhi alongside Ankita Bhandari's parents during protests at India Gate
Gandhi questions unidentified VIP’s role
Referring to the victim, who was aged 19 when she met the ill-fate, Gandhi alleged that she was murdered after refusing to compromise her dignity for a VIP. He then questioned why the identity of the alleged accused had not been established yet, despite nearly four years having passed since her death.
Gandhi’s official ‘X’ post read, “Even four years later, due to the CBI’s sluggish investigation, the question remains: who was that VIP?” His post was also accompanied with a copy of the letter which he wrote to the President.
Furthermore, Gandhi argued that the probe had failed to establish satisfactory answers to questions shrouding the case. He then claimed that several people, including Bhandari’s kin, believe Gautam is linked to the case.
Gandhi appeals to President
President Droupadi Murmu
Further in the letter, Gandhi expressed concern over Gautam’s appointment as the Governor of Sikkim, arguing that the decision should be reconsidered while the probe remains unfinished. He urged President Murmu to advise the government against allowing Gautam to assume office until the probe gets over. In his letter, Gandhi also raised the issue of legal proceedings against a serving Governor, contending that the appointment could result in the complication of efforts to pursue the allegations.
He said, “I appeal to you to advise the government to reconsider this appointment and not allow Dushyant Gautam to assume office until the investigation is complete.” Thereafter, he appealed to the President to ensure that the appointment did not undermine the Bhandari family’s pursuit of justice.
Political row ensues over Gautam’s appointment
The letter has added a significant political dimension to the political debate surrounding Gautam’s appointment, as the Congress has questioned its timing in wake of the allegations linked to the high-profile murder case.
Another still from the protests staged at India Gate
Gandhi also stepped up his attack against the Narendra Modi-led government over allegedly showing insufficient concern for women’s safety, and used the controversy to highlight broader questions of accountability as well as justice.