GUWAHATI, Jan 18: At the time when Congress’ ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, led by its leader Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday entered Assam through Haluwating in Sivasagar district from Nagaland, former Assam Youth Congress leader Angkita Dutta has taken a stand against what she perceives as injustice within the party ranks.
Speaking to the media in Amguri, Angkita Dutta said, “A memorandum will be handed over to Rahul Gandhi which will be sign by people who are supporting me in this journey to get justice. Today I am hopeful that being a daughter of the state along with scores of Congress workers will get justice. I have knocked every door but all went in vain and I was expelled from the party because I spoke against Srinivas BV who mentally harassed me and went to Jammu to inform the same. I have been in exile for the past 10 months and have not joined any party and I believe today I will get justice.”
Dutta’s grievances are not just against Srinivas BV but also extend to the higher echelons of the party leadership.
She claims that despite informing Rahul Gandhi, the chairperson of the IYC, about the harassment and gender discrimination she faced, no inquiry was initiated. Her allegations are severe, detailing months of torment where Srinivas BV is said to have made sexist remarks, used derogatory language, and even threatened her with dire consequences for her complaints.
This disciplinary action came on the heels of her public accusations against Srinivas BV, the national president of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), whom she labelled as “sexist and chauvinistic.”
It is to be mentioned here that scores of Congress grassroots-level workers have gathered in Amguri in support of Angkita Dutta.
Angkita Dutta, who hails from a family with four generations of Congress members, actively participated in the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ led by Rahul Gandhi and contested internal organisational polls twice, ultimately becoming a booth committee member.
Dutta’s family has deep-rooted connections to the Congress; her father, Anjan Dutta, was the president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and served as minister of transport, industries and public enterprises before passing away at AIIMS New Delhi in 2016 at the age of 64.
Her grandfather, Thaneswar Dutta, supported Indira Gandhi during the Congress split in 1978 and ran as a Congress candidate from Sivasagar LAC the same year.
Dutta had also claimed that she had informed the matter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, but no enquiry was ordered.
