Rahul Gandhi writes to President, urges no appointment of Dushyant Gautam as Governor
Ankita Bhandari was murdered on September 18, 2022.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has demanded a reconsideration of Dushyant Kumar Gautam's appointment as the Governor of Sikkim until the investigation into the Ankita Bhandari murder case is completed. In this regard, he wrote a letter to President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday, October 15. Rahul Gandhi appealed to the President to urge the central government to reconsider this appointment and to prevent Gautam from assuming office until the CBI investigation is complete.
In his letter, Rahul Gandhi wrote that,
many people, including Ankita Bhandari's family, are accusing Dushyant Gautam of being involved in this crime.
However, Gautam has denied these allegations and has also initiated defamation proceedings against those making the accusations. The allegations against him have not yet been proven.
Rahul Gandhi stated that,
the questions raised by Ankita's family are still under investigation. The news of Gautam's appointment as Governor has shocked them at this time. He alleged that the ongoing CBI investigation into the VIP's role in the Ankita murder case is progressing at a very slow pace.
Rahul Gandhi mentioned the most crucial question related to the Ankita Bhandari murder case in his letter. He said that for the past four years, there has been no answer to the question of who the VIPs were whose names emerged in this case. He wrote that after the protests in Uttarakhand in January this year, the state government had handed over the investigation to the CBI. Despite this, the investigation regarding the identification of the VIPs has not yet been completed.
According to Rahul Gandhi,
until answers to the questions raised in this case are found, Ankita's family will remain without hope for justice. He also expressed concern that Gautam has been assigned a constitutional position as Governor before the investigation results are made public.
Rahul Gandhi also referred to the constitutional position of the Governor and the protections associated with it in his letter. He argued that the constitutional protection afforded to a Governor could influence the prosecution process after the investigation.
He wrote,
such an investigation, the result of which may never reach prosecution, is merely a nominal investigation. A Governor must earn the trust of the people of their state. No one under suspicion can earn that trust.
Rahul Gandhi stated that the position of Governor carries significant constitutional responsibilities, and the person appointed to this position must have the public's trust. He urged the President to reconsider the appointment until the investigation into the Ankita murder case is complete. However, the allegations against Gautam have not yet been confirmed. Therefore, it is also important to wait for the investigation's conclusions and the completion of the legal process in this matter.
Rahul Gandhi acknowledged in the letter that the appointment of Governors is made on the advice of the Prime Minister-led Council of Ministers. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of serious negligence regarding women's safety. He wrote that by advising the appointment of Dushyant Gautam, the Prime Minister has shown indifference to women's safety. This is a political accusation from Rahul Gandhi.
In appealing to the President, the Congress leader also referenced Article 74(1) of the Constitution. He stated that according to established traditions, the President can ask the government to reconsider any matter. Under this authority, he urged President Murmu to reconsider this appointment. Rahul Gandhi wrote in his letter that he is writing to the President as a last hope, so that steps can be taken towards justice for Ankita's family.
At the end of the letter, Rahul Gandhi mentioned Ankita's parents and appealed to the President for intervention. He said that Ankita had refused to comply with an improper demand and paid for it with her life. Now her parents are struggling for justice and protesting against Dushyant Gautam's appointment.
Rahul Gandhi alleged that the protesting parents of Ankita are being taken into police custody. He urged the President to take action to provide relief to the grieving family and to uphold the dignity of the constitutional position of the Governor.
Earlier on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met Ankita's parents at India Gate in Delhi. According to news agency PTI, the family demanded that Dushyant Gautam's appointment be halted until the CBI investigation is complete. Gautam was appointed as the Governor of Sikkim on Monday.
19-year-old Ankita Bhandari worked as a receptionist at a resort near Rishikesh in Uttarakhand. She was murdered on September 18, 2022. In this case, the resort owner Pulkit Arya and his two associates were convicted. Pulkit Arya is the son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya. The court sentenced all three convicts to life imprisonment.
Despite the convicts being sentenced, Ankita's family and social activists are demanding a fair investigation into the alleged VIP's role and their identification.
The family's protest against Dushyant Gautam's appointment is linked to this demand. Now, Rahul Gandhi has written to the President seeking intervention in this matter. However, it is unclear what steps the President or the central government will take regarding this demand. All eyes are also on the results of the CBI investigation.