The Bharatiya Janta Party has removed three of its workers after they were arrested in connection to the gang rape of an IIT-BHU student. The development was confirmed by BJP’s Varanasi district chief Hansraj Vishwakarma on Sunday (31st December).
As per reports, the accused men were identified as Kunal Pandey, Abhishek Chauhan and Saksham Patel. The Crime Branch and Lanka police station arrested the three accused from the Susuwahi area, and the accused are now under interrogation.
On social media, it was claimed that the trio were members of the BJP IT Cell unit of Varanasi. The student wing of the BJP, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), had demanded strong action against the three men.
While speaking about the development, BJP Varanasi district chief Hansraj Vishwakarma said, “Definitely their (accused) names have appeared in the police probe, so they will be expelled from the party after an investigation.”
He emphasised,”The three accused have been expelled from the BJP and further action will be taken as per the directions of the party leadership”.
As per various local media reports and social media posts, it is being reported that the arrested accused were connected to the BJP IT cell. It is reported that Kunal Pandey holds the position of metropolitan coordinator in the BJP IT cell in Varanasi, while Saksham Patel is said to serve as the Varanasi metropolitan co-convenor in the IT cell. Numerous social media users have shared screenshots of the Facebook profiles of the arrested individuals, alleging links with the BJP IT cell.