Maharashtra BJP today termed the opposition Congress's demand for sacking Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and Education Minister Vinod Tawde over strong observations by Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court in the sexual harassment case in Government Medical College, Nagpur as "childish".
"Congress's demand for sacking of these ministers (Mungantiwar and Tawde) following observations of the bench in connection with a PIL on November 30, is laughable and childish," State BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari told reporters here.
"The two ministers have been made respondents in the PIL filed by a Congress activist and they have not got notices as yet. The hearing in the Court is yet to begin and the ministers have not got chance to put their case before the court," he said.
"The Congress is giving its verdict before the court verifies the PIL. This is nothing but making a mockery of judiciary," Bhandari claimed.
He also said even though Makrand Vyavhare, facing charges of sexual abuse, is a relative of Mungantiwar, the government has taken action against him.
"The state government has no intention to protect anybody guilty in the case. During the 15-year-rule of Congress-NCP, former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to NCP minister Gulabrao Devkar faced allegations of corruption against them. But, their resignations were not taken," he said.
Yesterday, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) had demanded that Mungantiwar and Tawde be sacked following Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court's strong observation against state government on the issue of sexual harassment of a resident doctor at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Nagpur.
MPCC spokesperson Sachin Sawant had said by transferring
Abhimanyu Niswade, Dean of GMCH (Nagpur), he was penalised because he took action into the sexual harassment allegations against Makrand Vyawahare, brother-in-law of Mungantiwar.
Bhandari, when asked about Niswade's transfer, claimed it had nothing to do with the sexual abuse case.
Former vice dean, GMCH, Vyawahare, faced allegation of threatening a first year postgraduate student of forensic department, who allegedly tried to commit suicide on November 17. Later, a female student levelled allegation of sexual harassment against Vyawahare, following which he was dismissed from the vice dean's post.
As per the PIL filed in the case, an inhouse committee set up by Niswade found allegations against Vyawahare, true.
The court also said that if the allegations in the PIL are proved true, it will depict a sorry picture as to how, at the instance of ministers, efficient officers of the institution are made scapegoat and penalised only to protect relative of one of the ministers, Sawant had said.
