Dushyant Gautam’s appointment as the governor of Sikkim has caused ripples in poll-bound Uttarakhand, where the Congress has trained its guns at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, alleging it is trying to “shield” the leader whose name cropped up in the 19-year-old Anika Bhandari’s murder case in 2022.
The BJP has officially maintained that there is no evidence against Gautam, a Dalit face of the BJP who was a Rajya Sabha MP and a national general secretary. “The state government had taken swift steps to arrest the accused and set up a special investigation team to probe the crime. “You could say, the appointment has rekindled the memories of the crime. The issue will resonate more with the women in particular, and we cannot offend that key constituency. “BJP’s push for social engineering does not have the same impact in Uttarakhand as it does in states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Of the four governors who were appointed last week, two Gautam and Mohan Ram (Odisha) are SCs. So, there is a perception that UCs are being overlooked.
Gautam also filed a defamation case against the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party for alleging his involvement after video and audio clips surfaced where the partner of former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore alleged that a “VIP” was linked to the crime. The anger and concern over the case, since it involved a young girl, didn’t become a political issue the way it has after his (Gautam’s) appointment (as Governor),” said a leader speaking on condition of anonymity. He said the appointment will be used by the Congress as a “political tool”. In the hill region, women play a key role in shaping opinions,” said the leader quoted above. A second leader said the party will need a sharp and effective counter to the Congress’ allegations and the demand that Gautam’s appointment be withheld until the court-monitored CBI probe is concluded. The party leaders fear that the allegation that the gubernatorial post is a ruse to “provide immunity” to Gautam from persecution could resonate among youngsters drawn to social media. The first leader quoted above said Gautam’s appointment has another downside: it comes at a time when the Upper Castes are up in arms with the government over the University Grants Commission (UGC) equity regulation (challenged in court), and there is a perception that the government is overlooking the general categories. Earlier, Ajay Tamta (Lok Sabha MP) was made minister in the Union Council; then Dinesh Arya was sent to the Rajya Sabha,” the leader said.
