NEW DELHI: Leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday criticised the detention of Ankita Bhandari’s parents, alleging they were taken into custody while peacefully protesting against Dushyant Gautam’s proposed appointment as Sikkim Governor.Rahul said the Congress would stand by the family until they received justice, asserting that their fight would neither be silenced nor stopped.“4 AM in the morning. While the world was asleep, Ankita Bhandari’s parents were taken into custody. Their crime? They were sitting quietly at India Gate—with heavy shoulders, without any commotion, and simply demanding that Dushyant Gautam should not be made the Governor of Sikkim until the CBI investigation is complete,” Rahul said in a post on X.“Yesterday, Priyanka and I met these parents. Even before the results of that investigation came in, the appointment was rushed, and the parents asking questions were picked up in the dead of night. This is the hallmark of this government: silence the voices of the victims, remove those who ask questions. But the fight for justice will neither be silenced nor stopped. The Congress stands with Ankita Bhandari’s family, and will continue to stand—until they get justice,” he added.Earlier in the day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge described the action as the “pinnacle of the Modi government’s cowardice and insensitivity.”Kharge criticised the Centre, saying the parents seeking justice had been detained while a BJP “VIP” was rewarded with a gubernatorial post.“The pinnacle of the Modi government’s cowardice and insensitivity! The parents of Ankita Bhandari, who are pleading for justice, are taken into custody, while a BJP ‘VIP’ is rewarded with the Governor’s post! This oppression by those in power is not a sign of the government’s strength, but rather proof of its attempt to flee from questions,” Kharge said in a post on X.“Such treatment of parents who have already lost their daughter is utterly shameful and reprehensible. The Congress Party will continue to fight to ensure justice for daughter Ankita,” he added.Ankita Bhandari’s parents, who were detained by Delhi Police during an overnight protest at India Gate in the early hours of Thursday, were released from Tilak Marg Police Station around 5 am on October 15.
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The family, along with several opposition leaders and protesters, was demanding that the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim Governor be put on hold until the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Ankita’s murder is completed. They have cited alleged links and sought a halt to his appointment pending the investigation.Speaking to reporters, Ankita’s father, Virendra Singh Bhandari, said, “If Dushyant Kumar’s appointment is not canceled within 24 hours, we will stage nationwide protests once again. The government will be held accountable for this.”Congress leaders Pawan Khera, Supriya Shrinate and Qazi Nizamuddin criticised the police action, alleging that authorities were targeting those demanding justice for Ankita and questioning Gautam’s appointment.Ankita was murdered on September 18, 2022, and her body was recovered from the Chilla Canal on September 24, 2022.