Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Meet Ankita Bhandari’s Parents Protesting Sikkim Governor Appointment
· India · India Today, Hindustan Times, The Hindu
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi met the parents of Ankita Bhandari at India Gate in Delhi on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, as they protested against the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim governor. The parents demanded the appointment be put on hold until the CBI investigation into their daughter’s 2022 murder is completed, citing fears that Gautam should be behind bars. Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, was murdered on 18 September 2022, and her parents have appealed to President Droupadi Murmu to intervene. The protest occurred amid prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita imposed at the site, with other Congress leaders including Imran Partapgarhi and Pawan Khera also present. The family warned of a potential hunger strike outside the Uttarakhand chief minister’s office in Dehradun if their demand is not met.
Why it matters
The protest intensifies political pressure on the BJP-led central government over alleged interference in judicial processes, particularly regarding the Ankita Bhandari case, which has become a symbol of demands for accountability in violence against women. It also tests Centre-state relations, as the family threatens to escalate protests to the Uttarakhand government, potentially influencing bipartisan discourse on gubernatorial appointments amid ongoing investigations.
Read the original report — India Today
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