GUWAHATI The Assam unit of the Congress has sought justice for a woman BJP leader who died by suicide after allegedly under pressure from an “unholy nexus” of job scammers in the State.
In a memorandum submitted to Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on August 24, a group of women Congress leaders also demanded stringent action against those responsible for the untimely death of Indrani Tahbildar, 44.
Tahbildar was the secretary of the BJP’s Kisan Morcha and was from Golaghat district.
“The APCC [Assam Pradesh Congress Committee] condemns the web of unholy nexus of cash for job scam that has been exposed with the arrest of some of the persons belonging to the BJP party involved in the case leading to the suicide of the late Indrani Tahbildar,” the memorandum signed by 11 Congress leaders said.
The signatories included former Minister Pranatee Phukan and Bobbeeta Sharma, both vice-presidents of the APCC, legislator Nandita Das, and Mira Barthakur, president of the Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress.
“Assam Pradesh Congress Committee strongly feels that this incident also exposes the vulnerability regarding the safety and dignity of women in Assam. The leak of photos in social media by her own party men leading to her suicide speaks volumes about how social media is being used as a tool to compel a person to take the extreme step of ending one’s life,” the memorandum read.
“Moreover, the leak of audio clips in social media of conversations between the deceased and her colleagues also exposes the dangers of how people can be blackmailed through the use of digital media,” it added.
The memorandum also said that the leaked conversations point to the involvement of BJP leaders in a job scam. “The circumstances leading to the suicide of Indrani Tahbildar exposes a ring of corruption in cash for jobs in the present BJP-led Assam government,” it said.
A BJP spokesperson said the party has been taking action against the blackmailers, including one Anurag Chaliha for abetting Tahbildar’s suicide.
At least two persons have been arrested in connection with the BJP leader’s unnatural death, police said.
