Clamour to oust Haryana BJP chief grows after accused son allegedly stalked woman, released on bail

CHANDIGARH: Clamour is growing to oust Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala after the shocking incident of alleged stalking of a woman by his son.

Haryana goes to polls in 2019 and the Manohar Lal-led BJP government has already initiated media blitzkrieg through national and local dailies and even FM channels, to remind denizens of the initiatives the government took. More than the government, it is Manohar Lal's image that is at stake. The Jat agitation a few months back, that witnessed lynching of around dozen Dalits, didn't go well with the Centre, giving enough ammunition to the anti-Lal lobbyists demanding to replace him.

Even as BJP maintains law, is taking its own course. On Sunday, Chandigarh police was under the scanner, after reportedly dropping the section pertaining to abduction from the FIR registered at sector-26 police station here.

The police changed the FIR and dropped IPS section related to abduction. Both the accused were released on bail by the investigating officer without producing them in the court.

Son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala, Vikas Barala (23) and his friend Ashish (22) were accused of stalking, abduction in a drunken state by the complainant Varnika Kundu, and daughter of senior IAS officer of Haryana.

Vernika and her father took to social media to share the ordeal faced by her and the family.

She faced media on Sunday to give her version of the incident. She also posted the incident details on her Facebook Page alleging she “was almost kidnapped on a Chandigarh road last night.”

In light of her version, the dropping of abduction charges by the police from the FIR has raised eyebrows given the political clout of the father of the accused who is also an MLA from Tohana constituency of Haryana.

Though Chief Minister Manohar Lal condemned the incident, he also opposed the demand of resignation by Subhash Barala from the post of the State BJP chief.

The complainant maintained that she recorded in her statement to the police exactly what had happened. And she did not deny or withdraw the allegation of abduction on her Facebook Page or in media interaction.

She reiterated she was not at fault and wanted justice.

Her father Varinder Singh Kundu, holding a highly significant post of Additional Chief Secretary, Haryana too has come out in open support of her daughter and hinted at political influence by the side of the accused.

In his Facebook post, he said that “If we do not persist in trying to bring the guilty to justice, more and more daughters will suffer this hurt. Maybe some may not be as lucky as Varnika. Someone has to stand up. We are standing. So long as we can .”