Ashutosh's blog on the removal of AAP minister Sandeep Kumar has triggered protests by the opposition
Highlights
- AAP leader Ashutosh wrote about minister sacked over sex video
- Column written before rape case was filed against ex-minister
- Ashutosh wrongly defended the politician: women's rights body
Ashutosh, a senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party or AAP, has, in a barrage of tweets, questioned the protests and action against him
for a column he wrote for ndtv.com on the removal of Delhi minister Sandeep Kumar over a sex scandal.
Ashutosh, a former editor, has said a police case against him violates his right to freedom of expression and an order to appear before the country's top women's rights body suggests a dangerous skew towards "a fascist state."Ashutosh's column was written and published on Thursday before Mr Kumar, 36, was accused of rape by a woman who featured in a sex video with him. He was sacked "within 30 minutes" of the video being received by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the party has stressed.
Mr Kumar was arrested over the weekend.
Ashutosh, said in his blog that the sexual act was a private and consensual one, that the media over-reacted to the scandal and exaggerated its import, and that the party sacked Mr Kumar because of "perception management."
His column elaborates on how neither the sexual habits nor romantic relationships of Indian politicians have historically not been a cause of public concern or judgement. He lists the examples of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Lalitha Kumaramangalam, who heads the National Commission for Women, told NDTV that she hopes Ashutosh will comply with orders to meet her on Thursday and that "he should admit he made a mistake" in defending the sacked minister. She said that the tone of the piece was derogatory towards women.
The Congress and the BJP say that Ashutosh has insulted Mahatma Gandhi by referring to him in the same breath as a man who is now accused of rape. In his blog, Ashutosh refers to Gandhiji's close ties with Sarla Chaudhary.