Ankita Bhandari murder case: Congress hits out at BJP, PM Modi over silence on Uttarakhand killing

After the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) expelled Vinod Arya from the party as his son was arrested in a murder case, the Congress party hit out at the ruling party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their silence on the killing of Ankita Bhandari.

While slamming the prime minister, Congress said that the silence of PM Modi and all the women workers of the party shows their “insensitivity” towards the murder of a teen who used to work as a receptionist in a resort in Uttarakhand.

Holding a press conference in Dehradun, state Congress president Karan Mahara questioned the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe the case and said the party does not have faith in the police investigation.

The body of the 19-year-old girl, who worked at the Vanantara resort in Uttarakhand's Pauri district, was found in the Cheela canal close to Rishikesh on Saturday, six days after her parents reported her missing.

She was allegedly killed by Pulkit Arya, resort owner and former BJP leader and state minister Vinod Arya's son, and two other employees when she resisted their attempts to offer "special services" to customers, as per PTI reports.

Mahara further said, “It is very shameful. Today, the prime minister, women leaders of the BJP, and the entire BJP organisation have been exposed. While the Congress and other parties are protesting against the incident across the state, the BJP, its allies, and women leaders are nowhere to be found.”

Son of BJP leader Pulkit Arya, along with his two associates, were arrested by the police last week after they had reportedly confessed to killing Ankita and dumping her body in the canal during the line of questioning.

Violent protests had erupted in areas surrounding the resort with local people breaking its window panes and some trying to torch a pickle factory on its premises as the news of the murder spread.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami condoled the death of the teen girl, saying that a high-level probe will be ordered in the matter, and all those involved will be brought to justice.