On Ankita Bhandari's death anniversary, Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat lamented the failure to secure justice for her, questioning the promotion of the 'VIP' involved. Congress workers later clashed with police near Vanantara Resort.
Ankita Bhandari Case: 'VIP gets promotions, justice denied,' says Harak Singh Rawat
Congress Election Management Committee Chairman Harak Singh Rawat on Friday said Uttarakhand people had failed to secure justice for Ankita Bhandari, as he visited the spot where she was murdered on the fourth anniversary of her death. Speaking on Ankita's death anniversary, Rawat said Uttarakhand was grieving and questioned the alleged continued promotion of the VIP at the centre of the controversy. "It has been four years since Ankita's death; today marks her death anniversary. All of us in Uttarakhand are grieving; there are tears in our eyes. Uttarakhand is a land of heroes and brave women, yet we have failed to secure justice for one of our own daughters... Even today, that VIP, whose name is at the centre of the controversy, receives promotions," he told ANI. Rawat said Uttarakhand has a history of military valour, but alleged that the state had failed to deliver justice to Ankita. "What is to become of this land of heroes?... We have battalions from the Garhwal Rifles and the Kumaon Regiment, yet we have failed to get justice for Ankita... Today, we visited the very spot where Ankita was murdered; touching that soil, we took a solemn pledge, swearing by the holy Ganga. Congress workers will not rest until these people, who possess the nature of demons, are driven out of Uttarakhand, out of this Devbhoomi," he added.
High drama unfolds near Yamkeshwar
Earlier in the day, High drama unfolded near Yamkeshwar as Congress leaders and party workers, led by Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee president Ganesh Godiyal, clashed with the police while attempting to march towards the controversial Vanantara Resort on the death anniversary of Ankita Bhandari. The confrontation took place following a ‘Shradhanjali Sabha’ (memorial meeting) organised at Bhogpur Talla in Yamkeshwar to pay homage to the 19-year-old receptionist who was allegedly murdered in September 2022. Following the memorial, a large group of Congress workers led by Godiyal began marching towards the nearby Vanantara Resort—the site where Bhandari was employed and where the alleged crime took place. They were stopped by the police, leading to the clash. Ankita Bhandari, who was working as a receptionist at the Vanantara Resort in Rishikesh, was murdered in September 2022. Her body was recovered from the Cheela Canal on September 24, 2022. (ANI)
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