FILE photo: Senior Congress leader and Uttarakhand minister Harak Singh Rawat
Harak Singh Rawat, a minister in the Congress government in Uttarakhand, has been booked by Delhi Police for allegedly molesting a woman last year.
The woman, said to be in her late twenties, had on Monday submitted a written complaint at the Safdarjung Enclave Police Station in Delhi, alleging that Rawat had molested her at his residence in September last year when she had gone to meet him for a job. The victim, a resident of Meerut, is a law graduate.
The woman also justified the delay in reporting the matter to the cops, claiming she was scared that the minister might use his influence to harm her.
"I have been busy with work... I have no information regarding this," said Rawat.
An embarrassed government has ordered an inquiry into the incident but the Opposition wants the minister to resign.
"I will research on the report... We will proceed on the matter," said Chief Minister Harish Rawat.
"It is a serious accusation... The minister must resign until he is proved innocent," said Ajay Bhatt, Leader of Opposition.
Sources close to Rawat claim that the case against him is politically-motivated. But in election season, it has given the BJP fresh ammunition to target the Congress, which is already battling charges of corruption and poor governance.