Guwahati, Aug 25 (IANS): The Congress has demanded a thorough investigation into the death of BJP leader Indrani Tahbildar who allegedly committed suicide on August 11 after her intimate pictures with another party member went viral on social media.
Speaking to IANS, Mira Barthakur, the president of Assam Mahilla Congress said: “We have faith in the judiciary but in some recent cases, we have seen that police did botch up investigations in many cases. That is why we requested the Honourable Governor to take action in this matter.”
She asserted that there was a cash-for-job nexus within the BJP and Tahbildar, who was one of the arrested party leaders in the case, told the police about this.
“We want every angle including the situation which led to Tahbildar’s unfortunate death should be impartially probed,” Borthakur said.
On Thursday, Congress women leaders met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and sought stern punishment for anyone "abetting the suicide" of Tahbildar.
In a memorandum, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) urged the Governor to take harsh punishment against people who are both accused of being involved in the cash-for-jobs scandal and the suicide case.
“APCC condemns the web of unholy nexus of cash-for-job scam that has been exposed with the arrest of some of the persons belonging to the BJP involved in the (suicide) case.
"This incident has shocked not only the people of Assam but also the entire nation and the APCC strongly feels that it also exposes the vulnerability regarding the safety and dignity of women in Assam.
“The leak of photos on social media by her own party men leading to her suicide speaks volumes about how social media is being used as a tool to compel a person to take the extreme step of ending one’s life. Moreover, the leak of audio clips on social media of conversations between the deceased and her colleagues also exposes the dangers of how people can be blackmailed through use of digital media,” it added.
Tahbildar died after allegedly consuming an overdose of sleeping pills after her photos with another BJP leader went viral on social media.
The police have so far arrested two people, one of whom was expelled from the party's primary membership following the development.