PoliticsOpposition
Abhishek Banerjee backs Ankita Bhandari's parents: 'It's INDIA versus the BJP'
The Trinamool MP condemned the couple's detention at India Gate. Ankita's father has given the Centre 24 hours to put Dushyant Gautam's appointment as Sikkim Governor on hold.
Key points
- Abhishek Banerjee said it was "distressing" that a bereaved family had to struggle to be heard.
- Virendra Bhandari has set a 24-hour deadline for the Centre to suspend Dushyant Gautam's appointment.
- The family has threatened nationwide protests if the demand is not met.
Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee has accused the BJP of choking peaceful protest after Delhi Police detained the parents of Ankita Bhandari at India Gate in the early hours of Thursday.
In a post on social media, the Diamond Harbour MP said it was “distressing” that a bereaved family had to struggle to be heard, and that the matter went beyond political loyalties. “Wave the national flag? Problem. Question the government? Problem. Demand justice? Problem. Express your opinion? Problem,” he wrote, ending with a line that doubles as a pitch for the opposition alliance: “It’s INDIA versus the BJP. Raise your voice or lose your choice.” He also attacked the Election Commission.
Ankita’s parents, along with Congress leaders including Pawan Khera, Supriya Shrinate and Imran Pratapgarhi, were picked up at about 3:45 am during an overnight sit-in against the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Governor of Sikkim. They were released around 5 am.
The family alleges Gautam is linked to the “VIP” whose role in the 2022 murder of the 19-year-old resort receptionist is under CBI investigation, a claim Gautam denies. After the couple were released, her father Virendra Bhandari gave the Centre 24 hours to revoke or suspend the appointment until the inquiry is over. “Nationwide protests will be launched if the government does not accept our demand,” he had said on Wednesday.
Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra joined the parents at India Gate earlier in the week and have asked President Droupadi Murmu to withdraw the appointment. The resort owner, Pulkit Arya, and two employees were sentenced to life imprisonment in May 2025.
The BJP has not responded to Banerjee. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday accused the Congress of politicising the case.