No let off in Chandigarh stalking case: Centre tells LS

The Modi government on Thursday told the Lok Sabha that the accused in the stalking and alleged attempt to kidnap a young woman in Chandigarh will not be “let off”.

The explicit assurance from the government came after the opposition Congress voiced apprehension of the flip-flop done by the police in the abduction attempt of Varnika Kundu in Chandigarh.

“The entire nation will keep a close watch on the government and the administration till this case is taken to its logical, legal conclusion,” Congress leader Deepender Hooda said in the Lok Sabha.

His reference to a BJP spokersperson attempting to slander the victim of the abduction attempt on social media led to a war of words with the ruling party members.

“There will be no let off... I assure the House that law will take its course and the Government is taking appropriate action,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told the Lok Sabha.

Earlier, Hooda demanded action under the relevant sections of the Information Technology Act against those trying to malign the image of the victim on social media by raking up some old photographs.

Haryana BJP President Subhash Barala's son Vikas and his friend Ashish Kumar are the accused in the case.

BJP member from Chandigarh Kirron Kher told the Lok Sabha that Home Minister Rajnath Singh had given clear instructions to the police not to yield to any political pressure and do whatever was right.

“No political pressure should be entertained, no phone calls and do what is right,” she said quoting the Home Minister's directions to the Chandigarh Police.

Kher sought to project the abduction attempt as a societal problem and asked Hooda not to politicise it.

“There is a progressive India and there is a very regressive India,” she said lamenting some “sexist and misogynist” comments made by political leaders in Parliament.