The BJP on Saturday ridiculed the Congress’s demand for removal of two Maharashtra ministers-Sudhir Mungantiwar and Vinod Tawde.
The BJP on Saturday ridiculed the Congress’s demand for removal of two Maharashtra ministers-Sudhir Mungantiwar and Vinod Tawde. BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said that the petition filed in the high court, because of which the Congress is demanding removal of the ministers, has been filed by a Congress worker and it has not even been admitted by the high court.
The Congress has demanded that the two ministers should be sacked following the strong observation of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court against the state government on the issue of sexual harassment of a resident doctor at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Nagpur.
The Congress has alleged that the ministers illegally transferred Abhimanyu Niswade, dean of GMC, Nagpur, because he took action in the sexual harassment allegations against Makrand Vyawahare, brother-in-law of Mr Mungantiwar.
Former vice-dean GMCH, Vyawahare, faced allegation of threatening a first year postgraduate student of forensic department, who allegedly tried to commit suicide on November 17. Later, a female student levelled allegation of sexual harassment against Vyawahare, following which he was dismissed from the vice-dean’s post.
As per the PIL filed in the case, an inhouse committee set up by Mr Niswade found allegations against Vyawahare to be true. However, Charudutt Shinde, OSD (Officer on Special Duty) of mr Tawde asked Mr Niswade to disband the committee.
BJP spokesperson Mr Bhandari said, “The Congress has demanded removal of Mr Mungantiwar and Mr Tawde from the state Cabinet by referring to some observations made by the HC while hearing a PIL. This is a childish demand. The person who has filed this PIL is a Congress party worker. He has made both the ministers respondents in the PIL, but they have not even received any notice. Even the HC has mentioned this fact in its interim order.”
Mr Bhandari also accused the Congress of trying to influence the court proceedings. “The papers submitted by the petitioner have not been scrutinised by the court and a formal hearing in the case has not been started. But the Congress leaders and spokespersons have given their own verdict on the PIL. This is nothing but Congress’ attempts to influence the court proceedings,” he said.
However, the Congress has remained firm on its allegations. Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “The court has prima facie held Mr Mungantiwar and Mr Tawde guilty which is why they have been served notices. If they have not received notices yet, they will receive them soon. The court has also held that the transfer of Niswade was illegal and reinstated him. That was a major embarrassment for the government. Even though the victim’s complaint was received on November 18, till date no case has been registered against Vyawahare, which also shows that the ministers are trying to shield him.”
