Senior BJP leader and former minister Uma Bharati on Friday, 25 October, warned the party against joining hands with tainted political leader Gopal Kanda,one of the five Independents, who have emerged as the kingmaker after the Haryana polls resulted in a hung Assembly.
Kanda was accused of abetting suicide of a young air hostess who worked for his aviation company in 2012. He was arrested on charges of rape, abetment to suicide, criminal conspiracy and criminal intimidation.
Bharati, in a series of tweets, tagged PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, and said that they must join hands only with people who are as clean as the image of the party.
Congratulating Maharashtra CM-elect Devendra Fadnavis and Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Bharati said that there was a time in Haryana when the BJP would rejoice about even winning a few seats,
“Before the Modi-wave took over the nation, there was a time when the BJP would rejoice about just winning Assembly seats in Haryana. However, forming a government in Haryana and then returning as the biggest party in the consecutive election is historic,”she said.
Bharati then reminded the party that Kanda was responsible for the suicide of a woman and her mother.
“Gopal Kanda is the same man who is responsible for the suicide of a girl, her mother who could not get justice also killed herself. The matter is still being heard by the court and he is out on bail,” she tweeted.
“Whether he is guilty or innocent, that is for the law to decide, but winning an election doesn’t give him a clean chit. There are other factors involved in winning an election,” she said.
“I would like to request the party that let’s not forget our moral establishment. We have a force like Narendra Modi with us. Not just the country, but people from across the world support him and his energy that has strengthened the spirit of nationalism,” she said.
“I want the government to be formed in Haryana but I request you to ensure that the way our party workers have a clean record, the people who join us should be of a similar reputation.”
Twenty-three-year-old Geetika Sharma had allegedly taken her life on 5 August 2012 at her Ashok Vihar residence in New Delhi. She alleged, in her suicide note, that Kanda and his employee Aruna Chaddha were harassing her to rejoin the former minister’s firm.
The Haryana BJP, which was in Opposition during the tenure of Bhupinder Hooda-led Congress government back then had taken to the streets demanding Kanda’s arrest and had alleged severe law and order problem in the state.
In August 2012, BJP’s Smriti Irani directed the Haryana unit of ‘Mahila Morcha’ to launch a drive informing people about Kanda’s “real face.”
After six months, Geetika's mother killed herself too and blamed Kanda and his aide of abetting her daughter's suicide. Kanda remained in jail for one-and-a-half years and was granted bail in March 2014 after the Delhi High Court dropped charges of rape against him.
The BJP in the past, has time and again, demanded the resignation of Kanda over the allegations.
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