Taking a swipe at Congress over a harassment complaint against its youth wing president, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today said it was unfair to blame him for "the lack of a safe environment" within the Congress party for female workers. Mr Sarma was responding to senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala's charge that the police action was the Assam Chief Minister's "antics" to stay in the news.
"The Assam police is acting in accordance with the law. They are currently investigating a case filed by a female Congress worker against the accused person under Section 354 of IPC. It is unfair to blame me for the lack of a safe environment within the Congress party for female workers. Please advise the accused to cooperate with the legal process," Mr Sarma tweeted.
The Assam Police today reached Karnataka to serve a notice to Indian Youth Congress national president BV Srinivas directing him to appear before the Dispur Police Station in Guwahati at 11 am on May 2. Police are looking for BV Srinivas at his uncle's residence, where he used to stay whenever he was in the city as he vacated his permanent residence two years ago.
Congress on Saturday suspended its former Assam Pradesh Youth Congress chief who accused Srinivas BV of harassment and discrimination. She has been expelled for six years for "anti-party" activities.
Taunting Mr Sarma with a "turncoat" jibe, Mr Surjewala said he was trying to outbid Amit Shah to his post" and has become "infamous" for antics to stay in the news.
"We reject this propaganda completely. Sometimes he wants to arrest Pawan Khera, sometimes he wants to arrest BV Srinivas. Perhaps it is to save the ignominy that Mr Modi was trying to arrest him once for Saradha Scam and Louis Berger Scam. That is why he defected to BJP. Reject him, don't pay any attention to him," Randeep Surjewala said on the notice being stuck on the gate of Mr Srinivas's Bengaluru residence.
The Assam unit of the grand old party reportedly found the woman's allegations "baseless and politically motivated", and took disciplinary action against her for tarnishing the image of the party and its leaders.
The woman had filed a complaint against Mr Srinivas at Dispur police station on Wednesday and was summoned by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Assam Police on Thursday. She accused the Congress leader of being "sexist and chauvinistic". The National Commission for Women (NCW) had also asked the Assam Police to probe the charges. She claimed that Mr Srinivas and another IYC leader, Vardhan Yadav, had discriminated against her based on her gender and had used foul language to threaten her.
Mr Srinivas, who is currently campaigning for the Congress in Karnataka ahead of the assembly elections next month, has denied the allegations and filed a defamation suit against the complainant for using "unparliamentary and defamatory" words against him.
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