To maintain party's sanctity, Haryana BJP chief Badoli should resign: Anil Vij

Chandigarh: Haryana minister Anil Vij Saturday said Mohan Lal Badoli, who was booked in a gang-rape case, should resign from the post of state BJP chief to maintain "sanctity" of the party till he is found innocent.

Badoli and singer Rocky Mittal were booked after a woman alleged that she was raped by them in a hotel in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli. Police have registered an FIR against them.

Vij said Badoli has already claimed he is innocent.

"I am confident that he will prove to be innocent in the Himachal Pradesh Police investigation. But until Himachal Police proves him innocent, he should resign from this (Haryana BJP chief) post to maintain 'pavitrata' (sanctity) of the party," said Vij while speaking to reporters in Ambala.

Vij, on January 15, had said the allegation of gang-rape against Badoli was "very serious" and the party high command would take a note of it.

Badoli became the president of Haryana BJP unit in July last year.

According to the complainant, Badoli and Mittal made videos of the act and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident to anyone, police had earlier said.

The FIR registered in Kasauli in Solan district on December 13, 2024, names Badoli and Jai Bhagwan alias Rocky.

According to the FIR, the woman was staying in a hotel in Kasauli with her boss and friend when they met the two on July 3, 2023. While Badoli introduced himself as a political leader, Rocky introduced himself as a singer.

Later, the woman and her friend went into a room with the two, who promised to help her get a government job and a chance to feature in a music video, the FIR said.

The duo allegedly forced the woman to drink liquor.

When she refused, they raped her, she alleged in her complaint.

Based on the woman's complaint, police said, the case was registered against Badoli and Rocky under sections 376 D (gang rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).