Subhash Barala must resign: BJP leader on 'stalking' case

Amid the outrage against the stalking of an IAS officer's daughter by Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Subhash Barala's son, saffron party MP from Kurukshetra, Rajkumar Saini on Monday called on the state party president to resign to protect the party's image.

"I believe to protect party's image and to protect our party from all the criticism he should resign. I think values come from home. If we have not given them proper values only then they are resort to do such things," Saini told ANI.

When asked to respond to the criticism directed towards the victim over her being outdoors late at night, the BJP leader hit back saying the real question is what was the accused doing out and about after midnight.

Meanwhile, Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy will file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the case.

Taking to Twitter, Swamy stated that he along with his associate lawyer A.P. Jagga, will file a PIL in Chandigarh over the attempted abduction of a IAS officer's daughter by two "drunk goons".

Earlier in the day, the Congress accused the Union Home Ministry and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of covering up the Chandigarh stalking incident by controlling the Chandigarh administration and the police.

"Investigative officer Satish Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) East Chandigarh, himself has said in a press conference that this is a case of kidnapping and outraging the modesty of a woman. He also said that these offences are non-bailable. This meeting took place at 2:30 pm. But at 5 pm there was another press conference meet by Kumar, and there he termed the matter as stalking and wrongful restrain," Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said while addressing a press conference.

Vikas Barala was arrested on Saturday on the charges of stalking and harassing the IAS officer's daughter in Chandigarh. He was, however, granted bail on the same day.

A case was registered by the Chandigarh Police against Vikas and other youth under under Section 354 D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 185 (Motor Vehicle Act) of the CRPC on the basis of complaint filed by the woman.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar assured Vikas will be punished once found guilty.

"I have complete faith on the Chandigarh Police. Justice will prevail. The accused will be punished once found guilty. This is my official stand on this matter. This case has nothing to do with Subhash Barala. Such act is highly condemnable if proved correct," the Chief Minister told the media.

Narrating the horrific ordeal, the girl, who is the daughter of an IAS officer, told the media she was lucky for not being the daughter of a common man.

"I'm lucky, it seems, to not be the daughter of a common man, because what chance would they have against such VIPs? I'm also lucky, because I'm not lying raped and murdered in a ditch somewhere," the woman wrote in a Facebook her post, pointing that the two men she accused of perturbing her "are from influential families with political connections," she said.

-ANI