Press statement issued by BJP National Spokesperson
Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi
We are shocked and horrified at the latest revelations about acts of criminality by Teheleka Editor Mr. Tarun Tejpal. It is ironical that at a time when a state was being questioned for giving protection to a woman when her family sought protection and she was in complete knowledge of the same, a woman journalist is being denied any help by the Congress or the authorities like the NCW and the Press Council of India.
Though the two situations involving two women cannot be compared, the morality of the Congress and its surrogates can be questioned in handling the two situations. The flip-flop of NCW and the Congress party on all such issues involving women is condemnable.
Today, when a young journalist who happens to be daughter of a senior journalist is seeking redressal of an abhorrent crime admittedly perpetrated by the Editor himself, some sections of the media choose to ignore her plea, brushing the entire issue under the carpet.
What comes as a disturbing fact is that some of the media houses were busy writing and organizing a campaign to harm the reputation of an innocent victim who had sought protection to protect her honour and dignity at a time she was well-settled in her married life and pleaded for anonymity. Clearly, it seems to be a case of political vendetta to settle scores by side stepping the key issues like governance and corruption and scams.
If the Congress party points a finger on the Gujarat Government for having provided security to a woman to protect her from such crimes, why has it remained silent on the nine MLAs in Rajasthan who are facing serious charges like rape, murder, and sexual assault? Cases relating to Rajasthan Ministers like Parasnath Maderna have failed to elicit a response from either the Congress or its surrogates.
The conduct of Mr. Tejpal falls under the category of rape as per the amended law in 2013. Sexual assault of this nature would fall within the definition of rape under Section 375 of the IPC. The letter from the girl in question to Shoma Chaudhary, Managing Editor of Tehelka, clearly brings out the trauma which she suffered at the hands of Mr. Tejpal, owner and Editor of Tehelka.
Mr. Tejpal, through his atonement letter, has sought a ``paid holiday’’ of six months by recusing himself from the Editorship of the magazine. Can atonement for a criminal act like this be granted? If it is granted, it should take place within the jail premises. Even though Mr. Tejpal has admitted to having committed the crime, sending him away from Tehelka is not a befitting punishment at all considering the serious nature and assault on his own woman staffer.
In the end, while the dignified ladies from the Congress party were anointing themselves as a guardian to a woman who sought anonymity; sensationalizing her ordeal, dragging her in the newspapers and TV channels, a serious crime, admittedly perpetrated by a senior Editor, is being ignored by the Congress party. The least they can do is to demand registration of a criminal case against Mr. Tejpal. The woman journalist in Tehelka, in her e-mail to Shoma Chaudhary, has revealed the perverse criminal behaviour and nature.
The issue needs to be taken to a logical conclusion so that such acts do not recur in future. Will Tehelka answer if a mechanism to prevent sexual harassment at work place, in keeping with the legal provisions, was put in place in their media organisation?
(Er. Arun Kumar Jain)
Office Secretary
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