BJYM dissolved over misconduct

Following a complaint by a woman BJP executive of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) alleging sexual harassment, Mumbai party chief Ashish Shelar has dissolved the entire unit. BJYM president Ganesh Pandey had resigned earlier after a woman had accused him of molestation.

Mr Shelar confirmed the move and said he has dissolved the BJYM unit after the sexual harassment complaint. “The unit has been dissolved,” he said. Asked whether BJP will conduct an inquiry into the allegations levelled by the victim or whether she has been asked to approach the police to lodge a complaint, Mr Shelar said, “Further steps will be decided as per instructions by senior party leaders.”

The woman, a member of BJP’s youth wing, complained to the party’s city unit chief Mr Shelar that Pandey had molested her. He had allegedly asking her obscene questions and passed lewd remarks.

The victim, in a written complaint to Mr Shelar on March 22, alleged that Pandey, who had accompanied her during BJYM’s three-day executive committee meeting in Mathura, called her to his hotel room on March 4 and asked her obscene questions, passed lewd remarks in front of other male members and also held her hand when she tried to leave the place. Following the complaint, Mr Shelar not only asked Pandey to resign, but also dissolved the unit. Although the woman has not approached the police yet, Pandey has tendered his resignation.

He described these allegations as part of a “political conspiracy” and asked why it took 18 days for the woman to file a complaint. “This is a classic case of political conspiracy hatched against me. There are a few people in the party, who are behind this. I have full faith in my senior leadership and this is why while submitting my resignation, I have demanded a fair inquiry into the matter and punish the culprit whoever it may be.”

However, BJP insiders said that Pandey belonged to a camp opposed to Shelar and hence the unit had been dissolved.