The dramatic expulsion of Congress leader Simi Rosebell John from the party for her sensational 'disclosures' about the casting couch situation in the Kerala unit has given fresh ammo to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to train guns on its 'autocracy and intolerance'.
BJP national spokesperson Shazia Ilmi tore into the Congress on Monday, mocking party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi's 'Ladki hoon, Lad sakti hoon' slogan and also asked whether it was merely for political posturing.
Speaking to IANS, Shazia Ilmi said that the Congress party rather than interrogating the case chose to punish her by showing the door.
Ilmi further said the party, instead of paying heed to her complaints, went to silence and suppress the voice of its functionary who spoke against atrocities on women leaders in its Kerala unit.
An woman leader went on record to narrate her ordeal at the hands of male counterparts in the Kerala Congress unit. She explained in minute details how the women leaders are subjected to harassment and exploitation in the party, but the party high command neither took cognizance of her complaints nor initiated any probe. It silenced her voice by expelling her from the party, Ilmi said.
Simi Rosebell John, a Kerala Congress leader was sacked from the party on Sunday following her remarks on the state of women leaders in the Congress state unit, while speaking to a private TV channel.
She reportedly claimed that the women's situation in the party's state unit was 'no less than' casting couch, however soon after her 'disclosures', she was shown the door.
In a clarification, Kerala Congress said that the leader was trying to harass and defame women leaders and workers at the behest of some political adversaries.
Earlier in the day, former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar also hit out at the Congress over its selective silence on matters concerning the party and its allies.
Look at the level of politics that Congress does. Before elections, they make tall claims on many issues and take a high moral ground but after that go on silencing the voice of whistleblowers," he said.
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