City BJP chief sacks entire youth wing over sexual harassment complaint

After sacking party’s youth leader Ganesh Pandey last week following a sexual harassment complaint filed by a female worker, the city president of BJP Ashish Shelar has now sacked the entire youth wing.

The incident allegedly happened on March 4 at a hotel in Mathura where the state’s delegates for the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha’s national executive convention were staying.

The female worker from Mumbai complained to Shelar that Pandey misbehaved with her in his room where many of his male colleagues were having alcohol.

She accused Pandey of trying to get physical with her and passing obscene remarks. She further said that Pandey and his friends played porn on their cell phones while banging on her hotel room doors.

Pandey has denied the allegations and demanded a thorough probe. He has alleged a political conspiracy from a rival group within the BJP.

The female activist approached Oshiwara police to file a complaint on Wednesday, 26 days after the alleged incident took place.

Meanwhile, a large section of the party feels that a ‘politically suicidal’ decision will backfire as it will offer the opposition ammunition on a platter during the ongoing legislative session.

Many city BJP leaders, including MPs and legislators, have blamed the city BJP president Ashish Shelar for misjudging the situation and sacking the entire youth wing team at an inappropriate time.

They say that the sacking could have waited further on a pretext of holding inquiry. They said the party’s decision of appointing an all-woman probe committee on Tuesday was too delayed because irreparable damage had already been done to the party.