Stalking case victim questions Barala’s appointment as Asst AG

Varnika Kundu, the complainant in the alleged stalking case of 2017, has questioned the appointment of BJP Rajya Sabha MP, Subhash Barala’s son Vikas, as Assistant Advocate General (AAG) in Haryana and termed it a “reflection" of the values, even as the BJP has maintained a studied silence in the matter.

Haryana’s National Commission for Women Chairperson Renu Bhatia told ‘The Tribune’ that “the party has all the details. This is the decision of the party."

Varnika, daughter of a former IAS officer and the complainant in the alleged stalking and attempted abduction case of 2017 against Vikas Barala, in a statement on her Instagram account, said, “Appointing of someone to a public position of power is not just a political decision — it’s a reflection of values and standards. So perhaps the questions should be directed at the authorities whose ethics and standards allowed this decision to be made. Our policy makers run the country; the rest of us are just hoping that they work FOR the INDIAN CITIZEN.”

Speaking of her case, Varnika said it had “dragged on for this long” and that she would hold faith in the judiciary until the verdict, but added that she “won’t deny that faith has wavered”.

She was reacting to Vikas’s appointment as AAG last week. While she has put her strongly-worded statement on social media, her father and former IAS officer VS Kundu, presently heading the Revenue Commission, said, “Though I cannot comment on appointments of the Barala family, this appointment is not really my concern. Every citizen should question it. I am more concerned about the slow progress of the case, in which only the prosecution evidence has been completed in eight years,” he said, adding that the government must act in an ethical manner.

Though the BJP does not openly admit there is anything amiss in the appointment, sources in the party said the government should have steered clear of unnecessary controversy, given the ongoing case against Vikas.

“The party staunchly believes that children of senior leaders cannot be denied appointments only because they come from a certain family. If he fulfils the criteria and is selected, there is no reason to deny him the position of AAG. Given the ongoing case, this becomes a question of ethics. However, so far, he hasn’t been found guilty. Barala is a senior member of the party, but this appointment could have been avoided,” a senior leader stated.

Two other leaders in the party maintain that this was an “avoidable controversy” and his inclusion should have been thought through by the party top brass. “The BJP, in its second term, had refused to buckle under pressure and drop the then Minister of State Sandeep Singh after he had been charged of alleged harassment. Similarly, the state chief Mohan Lal Badoli is involved in a case of alleged gangrape, but continues to head the state unit. The premise remains the same — they have not been proven guilty,” a leader stated.

Meanwhile, the CM’s media incharge, Parveen Attri, justified the inclusion of the name, stating, “Everything is done within the rules. No provisions have been violated. Those in politics face allegations. Unless the court decides he is guilty, we cannot say anything. If the court finds him innocent when the verdict comes, it would be unfair to deny him a chance today.”

Haryana Tribune