Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the detention of Ankita Bhandari’s parents during the India Gate protest (IMG X)
New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday strongly criticised the detention of Ankita Bhandari’s parents during their overnight protest at India Gate, accusing the Union government of insensitivity and questioning the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim Governor.
Calling the police action the “pinnacle of cowardice”, Kharge said the parents of the 19-year-old Uttarakhand woman were being taken into custody while demanding justice for their daughter. His remarks came hours after Delhi Police detained Ankita’s parents and several opposition leaders during a sit-in protest in the national capital. The parents were subsequently released.
In a post on X, Kharge accused the government of treating Ankita’s grieving parents insensitively while rewarding a BJP leader with a gubernatorial position.
मोदी सरकार की कायरता और संवेदनहीनता की पराकाष्ठा!
न्याय की गुहार माँगने वाले अंकिता भंडारी के माता-पिता को हिरासत, और भाजपाई ‘VIP’ को Governor-ship!
सत्ता का यह दमन सरकार की ताक़त नहीं, बल्कि सवालों से भागने का प्रमाण है।
एक बेटी को खो चुके माता-पिता के साथ ऐसा व्यवहार अत्यंत शर्मनाक और निंदनीय है।
अंकिता बेटी को न्याय दिलवाने के लिए काँग्रेस पार्टी संघर्ष करती रहेगी।
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) October 15, 2026
“The pinnacle of the Modi government's cowardice and insensitivity! The parents of Ankita Bhandari, who are pleading for justice, are taken into custody, while a BJP ‘VIP’ is rewarded with the Governor's post!” Kharge wrote.
He further alleged that the action reflected an attempt by those in power to avoid questions and accountability.
Kharge described the treatment of the family as shameful and said the Congress would continue its campaign to secure justice for Ankita. His comments added to the criticism being voiced by opposition leaders following the early-morning detentions.
Also Read: Ankita Bhandari Case: What Is the ‘VIP Angle’ That Has Triggered a Fresh Political Storm?
Ankita’s parents were detained by Delhi Police at around 4 am on Thursday while participating in a sit-in protest at India Gate. Several Congress leaders were also detained during the police action.
The protesters were demanding justice in the 2022 murder case and opposing Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim Governor. The family has called for the appointment to be put on hold until the ongoing Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged VIP angle is completed.
Ankita’s parents were later released from Tilak Marg Police Station. Congress leaders Pawan Khera, Jothimani and Imran Pratapgarhi also staged a protest inside the police station after being detained.
Congress leaders criticised the police action, alleging that authorities were targeting those seeking answers in the case. These characterisations reflect the opposition’s allegations about the incident.
The police action followed a visit by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to the protest site on Wednesday evening.
The two leaders met Ankita’s parents and expressed solidarity with their demand for justice. Rahul Gandhi also urged the President to ensure that Gautam’s appointment was not taken forward until the CBI investigation was completed.
The family has maintained that questions surrounding the alleged VIP connection must be examined despite the convictions already secured in the murder case.
Ankita’s family has raised objections to Gautam’s appointment as Sikkim Governor, citing allegations concerning a possible VIP connection to the murder.
Her father has demanded that the appointment be put on hold and has called for further investigation into the alleged link. The allegations against Gautam remain unproven. He has denied the accusations and initiated defamation proceedings, according to reports.
Also Read: Ankita Bhandari’s Parents Released After Detention; Congress Questions Police Action
The controversy has brought renewed attention to the case, with the family and opposition leaders demanding accountability and further scrutiny of the allegations.
Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district, was murdered in September 2022. Her body was recovered from the Chilla Canal on September 24, six days after her death.
Resort owner Pulkit Arya, the son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two resort employees, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, were convicted in the case. On May 30, 2025, a court in Kotdwar sentenced all three to life imprisonment for murder, destruction of evidence and other offences.
Although the three men have been convicted, the alleged VIP angle remains a separate issue at the centre of the family’s renewed campaign. The latest protest and Kharge’s remarks have brought the case back into the national political spotlight.
