Millennium Post

BJP’S ‘Beti Bachao gang’ shameless: Cong

A controvers­y erupted after MLA Gopal Kanda, who faces a case of abetment to suicide, said he and all independen­t legislator­s have "decided" to extend unconditio­nal support to the Bharatiya Janata Party in Haryana

- OUR CORRESPOND­ENT

NEW DELHI: With abetment to suicide accused MLA Gopal Kanda extending support to the BJP in Haryana, the Congress on Friday alleged that the "Beti Bachao gang" of the saffron party is "shameless" as it boasts of having a woman finance minister and then accommodat­es "rapists".

A controvers­y erupted after Kanda told reporters that he and all independen­t legislator­s have "decided" to extend unconditio­nal support to the Bharatiya Janata Party.

However, BJP general secretary Anil Jain, asked about the row, said the party is aware of the matter and will take a call on it. Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev, in a letter to BJP chief Amit Shah, said aligning with Kanda not only raises questions over the BJP'S commitment to women's safety but also its morality.

"The country's daughters are watching what is more important for you -- power or women's safety," she said in the letter posted on her Twitter handle.

"Mahila Congress strongly condemns the alliance of the BJP and Kanda. The BJP indulges in doublespea­k by talking about 'Beti Bachao' and there is a difference in its words

and actions," Dev alleged referring to the Centre's scheme of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'.

"The party, which dupes in the name 'Beti Bachao', has crossed all limits of insensitiv­ity by extending its hand of alliance towards Kanda," she alleged.

Women will not stay quiet and an example of this has been seen in the assembly elections of Haryana and Maharashtr­a, Dev said. The 'Beti Bachao, Beti

Padhao' scheme aims at checking female infanticid­e and educating the girl child.

In a tweet, she said: "Beti Bachao Gang of BJP is basically spineless and shameless. They boast about having a woman defence minister and finance minister and then accommodat­e rapists in their party."

Earlier, Congress' chief spokespers­on Randeep Surjewala, when asked about Kanda's support to the BJP, said, "I think you should look at the statements made by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah at the time when Gopal Kanda was a minister in the (Congress) government in Haryana when we forced him to resign after registrati­on of a case and also removed him from ministersh­ip."

"What was the stance of the BJP then and what sort of doublespea­k is the BJP doing today," he said, accusing the

saffron party of displaying "hunger for power". In a tweet, the former In 2012, a former air hostess, who was employed with Kanda's company, had committed suicide, accusing

him of harassment.

Police, during its investigat­ion, accused him of raping her and also charged him with abetment to her suicide. Her mother also later ended her life.

Kanda was booked for abetting her suicide too. The matter is in court now.

The charge of rape and unnatural sex against Kanda was later dropped.

 ?? PTI ?? Haryana Lokhit Party leader Gopal Kanda during a roadshow after his victory in Assembly elections, in Sirsa district, Thursday
PTI Haryana Lokhit Party leader Gopal Kanda during a roadshow after his victory in Assembly elections, in Sirsa district, Thursday

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