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Angkita Dutta also claimed to have conveyed the matter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (Twitter/@angkitadutta)
Former Assam Youth Congress president Angkita Dutta has accused Srinivas BV of being “sexist and chauvinistic”, and discriminating against her based on gender. Some senior leaders claim the controversy is timed to dent the party’s prospects in Karnataka elections
The allegations of sexism, harassment and discrimination levelled by former Assam Youth Congress president Angkita Dutta against the unit’s national chief Srinivas BV have sent shockwaves through the Congress, with senior leaders claiming the controversy is timed to dent the party’s prospects in Karnataka elections.
On Tuesday, Angkita Dutta had accused Srinivas BV of being “sexist and chauvinistic”, and discriminating against her based on gender. She also claimed to have conveyed the matter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
“How can a sexist and chauvinistic leader @IYC torture and demean a woman every single time. What happened to @priyankagandhi ladki hoon ladk Shakti hoon (sic),” Angkita, the daughter of former Congress minister, Anjan Dutta, said in a series of tweets tagging Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, among others.
“My values and education doesn’t allow me anymore. The leadership has played deaf ears despite bring front of them MANY TIMES @RahulGandhi @kcvenugopalmp @priyankagandhi (sic),” she wrote further.
Dutta claimed that despite complaints, no enquiry committee has been initiated against Srinivas. “Is this the safe space @RahulGandhi talks about women @priyankagandhi,” she said in another tweet.
Dutta also filed a legal complaint against Srinivas BV for allegedly outraging her modesty at the Raipur Congress Plenary Session recently.
Downplaying the allegations, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee chief Bhupen Borah said: “She is a very young girl. She is angry. We will sort it out within the party. I have already talked to her. She seems to be young and angry. Young blood makes us do certain things.”
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Assam Assembly Debabrata Saikia, however, said the allegations are politically motivated. “Karnataka elections are coming up and Srinivas BV is very much active there. Rahul ji is there… and the BJP is sure it will suffer defeat. They are creating such situations to harm the image of the Congress,” he said.
After Dutta went public with the allegations, the Indian Youth Congress sent her a legal notice for allegedly defaming Srinivas BV.
“Dr Dutta has resorted to using utterly unparliamentary, undignified, defamatory, malicious words against Srinivas BV and has levelled totally sexist, chauvinistic, false, frivolous allegations against him. The IYC legal cell has taken a strong, stringent legal action and therefore IYC National President Srinivas BV has sent a Criminal Defamation notice to Dr Angkita Dutta in view of the same,” a statement said.
“Since her tenure was over, and after the declaration of State PYC election she was not discharging her duties competently, she started raising baseless allegations against National Secretary Vardhan Yadav, IYC I/C of Assam PYC which were never fructified and she has constantly refrained herself from participating and cooperating with the inquiry committee set up by the IYC Leadership to probe the allegations made out by her. Such acts clearly reflect the falsity of the charges,” it added.
Commenting on the developments, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: “She is a powerful and strong Assamese woman. Her father was also a very strong Congressmen. I hope the party leaders deal with this and give her justice. I will see to it when it comes to me. As of now, she has complained to Rahul Gandhi. So if I comment, they will say I am interfering in their party issues.”
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