Party denies charge, says there will be no inquiry into the allegations. The women’s wing has sought action against Priya Jaral.
Chandigarh: A woman member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu & Kashmir has accused party leaders of seeking sexual favours from women members for promoting them.
Naming at least two senior leaders of the party, Priya Jaral said she was told that if she wanted to rise in the party, she should do the “needful”. Ordinary women workers of the BJP go into hotel rooms and come out “leaders”, while there is no respect in the party for women from “good households”, she added.
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Jaral and her husband have been working with the BJP for several years. She was a member of the state executive committee until recently, when she was removed during its three-yearly reshuffle.
Lashing out
The allegations came to light with a viral video from 30 August, when Jaral created a furore at a party event in Jammu to pay tribute to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Accosting state BJP chief President Ravinder Raina as he ended his address, Jaral said, “You called me Jhansi ki rani and matri shakti, but I am tired of complaining again and again.”
Raina tried to reason with her but she continued to argue with him loudly about being wronged. As he moved away, she said women were being “used” by the BJP, adding that the party did not respect them. Other women workers of the BJP were seen trying to calm her.
Talking to local television channels outside the venue, Jaral said, “I was given names of three state BJP leaders to choose from and promised that I will rise in the party.”
“When I realised what was being said, I removed my jutti (shoe) and rebuked the person who made the offer,” she added.
She said when she complained to the state party president over the phone, he threw her out of the state executive committee.
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‘No inquiry’
Talking to The Print, BJP state general secretary (organisation) Ashok Kaul said the allegations leveled by Jaral were baseless.
“Jaral was removed from the state executive committee because she was not working,” he said.
“She was active in the party three years ago but not anymore. We have a rule that if a member is absent from three meetings of the state executive, he or she will be removed,” Kaul added.
“She was removed for not participating in party work,” he said.
According to Kaul, the party’s state unit is not contemplating any action on her allegations. “There is no need for an inquiry. These are concocted allegations,” he said.
When ThePrint reached out to BJP national vice-president and J&K incharge Avinash Rai Khanna, he said he was in Rajasthan and would look into the matter on his return. “I am not aware of all the facts at this stage and it would be irresponsible to offer a comment,” he added.
‘Act against Jaral’
The BJP mahila morcha, meanwhile, has sought action against Jaral.
Rajni Sethi, the chief of the BJP’s J&K women’s wing, said in an interview to a local channel that Jaral was playing into the hands of the opposition. “Jaral chose a public function to embarrass the party. She disrupted the proceedings. If the allegations she levelled are true, why did she not come armed with proof?” she added.
She said the allegations were three years old. “She never talked about anything like this to us,” Sethi added.
She demanded strict action against Jaral for “demeaning” the position of other women leaders and workers of the party.
Meanwhile, the Mahila Congress Saturday demanded an inquiry into the charges levelled by Jaral and staged a protest outside the Jammu Press Club.