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The Times of India
The Times of India
National
TNN

Pratibha stirs row with 'chhoti si vardaat' remark

Shimla: Congress president and Mandi MP Pratibha Singh has stirred a controversy by describing the Kotkhai rape and murder incident, also known as Gudiya case, as "chhoti si vardaat" (minor accident). After a video of Pratibha making this statement during her visit to Lahaul-Spiti on Tuesday went viral on social media, he BJP has demanded an apology from her.

At a public meeting in Keylong, the PCC chief said, "Hamari sarkar mein ek chhoti si vardat huyi thi. Ek gaon mein ladki ke saath durvyavahar hua tha... bachi thi school ki....to BJP ke logon ne itna uska halla machaya... police ka daftar jala diya... ye kaha ki iski investigation honi chahiye. Uss samay Raja Sahab mukhya mantri the, unhone turant aadesh diye aur dusre din hi CBI uski jaanch partal karne ke liye aayi....itna inhone iska rona roya... jab tak sarkar mein badlav nahi aaya tab tak is baat ko bhunte rahe... halanki aisa kuchh bhi nahi tha... log jante the is baat ko (There was a minor incident when there was Congress government in the state. There was an indecent behaviour with a girl in !a village. She was a schoolgirl... so BJP workers created such an uproar... burnt down an office of cops... there was a demand for investigation. At that time, Raja Sahab (Virbhadra Singh) was the chief minister. He gave the orders immediately and the very next day CBI wason the job... BJP dragged the issue so much... till the time the government did not change, till then... whereas there was nothing in the incident... people knew about it)."

BJP state executive member Neelam Saraik, who contested the bypoll from Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly seat, said the Gudiya case was one of the most gruesome and heinous criminal cases registered in the state. "It is the BJP which staged massive protests, demanding a CBI probe, that gave the case a right direction. It is quite sad to see how Pratibha Singh has disrespected women of our society. She should apologise to the general public and the family of 'Gudiya',": she said.

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