Chandigarh stalking case: Congress blames Centre for shielding Haryana BJP chief's son

AICC media incharge Randeep Surjewala said the Chandigarh Police comes directly under the Union home ministry and they are trying to protect Haryana State BJP president Subhash Barala and his son.

Surjewala also accused Chandigarh Police DSP Satish Kumar, probing the case, of changing his statement within hours, allegedly at the behest of the Central government. Image courtesy: ANI

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday accused the Central government and the BJP of "conspiring to hush up" a case against the Haryana BJP chief's son, accused of stalking a woman in Chandigarh. AICC media incharge Randeep Surjewala said the Chandigarh Police comes directly under the Union home ministry and they are trying to protect Haryana State BJP president Subhash Barala and his son. He demanded an answer from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah why the BJP leader and his son were being "protected". "The Union home ministry, which directly controls UT Administration and UT Police of Chandigarh, is conspiring to hush up the entire matter so as to protect the Haryana State BJP president and his son. "Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah answer to the nation as to why BJP state President and his children are being protected in this fashion," Surjewala said. He also accused Chandigarh Police DSP Satish Kumar, probing the case, of changing his statement within hours, allegedly at the behest of the Central government. The Congress also released three videos of the DSP's statement and the woman narrating the incident. Surjewala said the police was saying that the footage of CCTV cameras, showing the stalking incident was not available. "Even before you have registered a case under correct sections, the CCTV footage has gone. Does it not show that the Union government is giving diktats to protect the Haryana BJP president and his son?" he said. He accused the BJP of adopting double standards, saying when a similar incident happened involving the son of a senior minister in Haryana government a few years ago, the current Home Minister as the then National BJP President had demanded his resignation, which the Congress had accepted. "Why double standards are being adopted by the BJP is a question that the country wants the Prime Minister, BJP President and others to answer," he said. The Congress leader also asked if the BJP government and the UT Administration answer as to how all those CCTV cameras have stopped functioning and how all the CCTV footage had gone missing. "Is that the transparency that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks about? And we have also released the video of the girl in question and this young girl has clearly said that she has stated so before the Magistrate in a statement under 164 and she is saying so again on camera that there was a clear cut unequivocal attempt to abduct her. But why has no FIR been lodged?" he asked.