While the opposition accused the government of state-sponsored oppression and covering up a VIP angle, Bhatt emphasized that the administration acted swiftly, leading to the life imprisonment of the accused and the initiation of a CBI probe as requested by the family.

While the opposition accused the government of state-sponsored oppression and covering up a VIP angle, Bhatt emphasized that the administration acted swiftly, leading to the life imprisonment of the accused and the initiation of a CBI probe as requested by the family.

While the opposition accused the government of state-sponsored oppression and covering up a VIP angle, Bhatt emphasized that the administration acted swiftly, leading to the life imprisonment of the accused and the initiation of a CBI probe as requested by the family.

Uttarakhand BJP President and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt has defended the state government in the controversy surrounding the Ankita Bhandari murder probe, claiming that the state machinery acted with sensitivity, responsibility, and speed at every level.

Dismissing the opposition's allegations of a political conspiracy to save the culprits, Rajya Sabha MP Bhatt said that the accused were arrested and sent to jail. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed in time, which ultimately led to the accused receiving life imprisonment.

Congress backs protesting parents

Mahendra Bhatt's response came after Rahul Gandhi on Thursday targeted the Modi government over the detention of Ankita Bhandari's parents. The Leader of Opposition said that the NDA government is known for suppressing the voices of victims and eliminating those who ask questions.

The case gained prominence again after Ankita’s parents alleged that there was a “VIP angle” to the case. They allege that senior BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam was involved in the case and want the Centre to put his appointment as the Governor of Sikkim on hold. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and others on Wednesday met the parents of Bhandari at India Gate during a protest.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of carrying out "state-sponsored oppression", saying it is not a sign of its strength, but rather proof of its attempt to evade difficult questions. "The height of cowardice and insensitivity from the Modi government! Ankita Bhandari's parents, who were seeking justice, have been taken into custody, while a BJP-linked 'VIP' is rewarded with a governorship!" Kharge said in his post in Hindi on X.

"This act of state-sponsored oppression is not a sign of the government's strength, but rather proof of its attempt to evade difficult questions. Treating parents who have lost their daughter in such a manner is utterly shameful and condemnable," he said.

The Congress party will continue to fight to ensure justice for Ankita, Kharge asserted.

According to Mahendra Bhatt, the government has accepted several key demands of Ankita's family. At the request of Ankita's parents, the process of having the case investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been moved forward, Jansatta said in a report.

Ankita Bhandari murder case

Ankita Bhandari, 19, worked as a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh, where she was murdered on September 18, 2022. Her body was recovered from the Chilla canal four days later.

Resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two accomplices were convicted of the murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

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