Uttarakhand BJP’s plan to shift the venue of the second election rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Srinagar to Rishikesh has become talking point in the state these days.
Tightlipped over the issue, BJP leaders do not want to say anything on record but have confided that it happened for fear of deceased 19-year Ankita Bhandari’s parents coming to the venue.
Although the BJP leaders are not willing say anything officially, informally they admitted, on condition of anonymity, that Ankita Bhandari’s murder has become a major issue this election in the Pauri Lok Sabha constituency. They said this was the precise reason why the party had to change venue for prime minister’s second rally in Uttarakhand.
According to the BJP leaders, Modi had to address two election rallies in Uttarakhand. The first rally was done in Rudraprayag in Udhamsingh Nagar district on April 2. The second was planned for Shrinagar the assembly segment in the district Pauri on April 11.
However, the party desisted from its plan and hence the venue was shifted to Rishikesh for the fear that Bhandari’s parents, living in Srinagar, would have attended the PM’s public meeting leading to an embarrassment for the ruling party.
“Things would have turned worse had Ankita’s parents showed any sign of protest against the killing of their daughter. This has now become a polls issue in Pauri Lok Sabha Constituency,” said a senior BJP leader and party’s state office bearer on the condition of anonymity.
According to a BJP leader, Modi’s poll rally would have impacted the electorate of the Tehri and Pauri Garhwal parliamentary constituencies akin to how party targeted the Nainital and Almora lok sabha seats from Rudrapur on April 2.
However, when contacted, BJP spokesperson Manveer Chauhan denied any programme of the party to hold prime minister’s election rally in Srinagar.
“PM’s rally was planned only for Rishikesh. Srinagar was not in consideration. The Rishikesh rally was aimed at addressing the voters in the three Lok Sabha constituencies, Tehri, Pauri and Haridwar. The BJP has nothing to hide on any issue. The matter being talked about is sub judiced,” said Chauhan.
Ankita Bhandari, who worked in a Rishikesh-based resort, was allegedly killed by the resort owner, a BJP leader’s son and his two employees in 2022. The accused, who were arrested and are now in the jail, wanted Ankita to provide ‘special services’ to the VIPs coming to the resort.
This was stated by the witnesses in their statements before the probe agency and in the court as well. In fact Ankita’s mother also named a BJP leader as VIP who visited the resort on the day victim Went missing.