 "Should I be hanged for writing a column: Ashutosh")
With the National Commission for Women (NCW) summoning Ashutosh for defending his former comrade Sandeep Kumar who is embroiled in a 'sex tape' scandal, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Spokesperson on Monday lashed out at NCW Chief Lalitha Kumaramangalam asking that should he be punished for simply voicing his opinions.
After receiving a notice from a NCW, Ashutosh took to Twitter and accused Kumaramangalam of still being a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member.
"Notice recd from NCW. Should I be hanged for writing a column? Is india turning into a fascist state? Ms Mangalam as a chairperson of NCW, you should not lie on a national TV that you are not BJP member.Wikipedia writes You are still a member," he said in a series of tweets.
He called on the NCW Chief to look at Wikipedia, where it clearly states that she is still a member of the 'BJP National Executive'.
The NCW on Monday summoned Ashutosh, over his blog where he allegedly defended the sacked AAP minister Sandeep Kumar, who was expelled from the party after a tape emerged showing him in a compromising position with two women.
"We found that the blog was very objectionable as the tone used against women was very demeaning. First, he (Ashutosh) jumped the gun in trying to defend someone who as it turns out is actually guilty," Kumaramangalam said in a press conference here.
Further stating that instead of showing restraint towards what was a "very patriarchal attitude towards women", she said that the party spokesperson gave examples of various people who have had consensual sex with various women.
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"The fact that is most objectionable is that he almost has objectified women," she added.
Mentioning that one of the issues based on which the AAP came to power in the national capital was on providing security to women in Delhi, Kumaramangalam further asserted that the NCW could not just "sit back and accept" his blog, which is why he was summoned to appear on September 9th.
On being questioned about Ashutosh's tweet which claims that she is still a member of the BJP, the NCW chairman said, "I'd really like to tell Ashutosh that I don't know what kind of a journalist you are because you are two years behind the time. I am not an executive of the BJP. I was for three terms but as I became the chair person for the NCW I was supposed to give it up."
Calling on Ashutosh to get his "facts right", she further explained that the moment she was offered the post of NCW Chief, she made it clear that if she accepts it, she will no longer be a member or the spokesperson for BJP.
Earlier, reacting to the summons, Ashutosh launched an attack on Kumaramangalam, accusing her of still being affiliated to the BJP, to which she responded saying that, "I am not an executive of the BJP. I was for three terms but as I became the chair person for the NCW I was supposed to give it up. The BJP Is very strict about one person one post and the moment they offered me this post I was informed that if I accept it I will no longer be a spokesperson or a National Executive member."
Ashutosh, in his blog, mentioned that he didn't support the sacking of Sandeep Kumar on August 31st after his sex tape emerged.
In his support of the sacked minister, he also wrote that various leaders had sex with various women.
To conclude, he thought it would be best to blame the media, "Maybe these leaders were fortunate as they didn't live in the TV era; they were not caught on camera; no sting operation was done. As a puzzled individual may I ask why the SEX VIDEO of two consenting adults should grab headlines of the day and why should it be debated on TV channels? If it is a sin and a certificate for characterless-ness, then the role of all the above great leaders in history should also be re-assessed and reevaluated," said Ashutosh in his blog.