Jammu, October 10: The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday staged a protest outside the Congress office in Jammu, demanding the resignation of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over what it described as the party’s double standards on women’s dignity.
Hundreds of BJP workers participated in the demonstration, raised slogans against the Congress leadership and burnt an effigy of the party. The protesters accused the Congress of inconsistency in its public stand on women’s empowerment and demanded accountability from its senior leaders.
J&K BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Sat Sharma, who was present at the protest, said Rahul Gandhi should take responsibility for the conduct of his party and resign. He accused the Congress leadership of speaking about women’s rights while failing to address allegations of misconduct involving party leaders and workers.
Sharma also questioned the Congress leadership’s response to allegations against one of its MPs in a molestation case, asking why the party’s senior leaders had not shown the same concern for women’s dignity in the matter. He said allegations of misbehaviour towards female police personnel by Congress workers and leaders required accountability.
BJP leaders Priya Sethi, Rekha Mahajan, Sanjita Dogra and Mahila Morcha president Advocate Neha Mahajan also addressed the gathering, calling on the Congress to explain what they described as a gap between its public statements on women’s rights and its response to allegations involving party members.
Priya Sethi said women’s dignity should remain above partisan politics, while Rekha Mahajan stressed the need for respect, security and equal treatment for women. Sanjita Dogra said political leaders should demonstrate consistency in their approach to women’s rights.
Advocate Neha Mahajan said BJP women workers would continue to raise issues concerning women’s dignity and demand accountability from public representatives.
Several BJP leaders, including general secretaries Baldev Singh Billawria and Gopal Mahajan, MLAs and other party office-bearers, also attended the protest.
