There has been much debate over why Sandeep Kumar, Minister for Women and Child Welfare in the Delhi government, was sacked from the Cabinet. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he had received an ‘objectionable CD’ of the minister in a compromising position with a woman.
Sandeep Kumar, sacked as a minister after an “objectionable” CD emerged showing him in a compromising position with a woman, did no wrong and action was taken against him solely for “perception management”, AAP leader Ashutosh suggested.
Stating that the row over Kumar’s “objectionable” video exposes the “hypocrisy of the society and hollowness of the media”, Ashutosh wondered why the seemingly obvious “consensual act” should create ripples in the media and politics.
Ashutosh tried to defend Kumar saying, ‘sex is a part of our basic instincts’.
While giving his justification, the AAP leader wrote in his blog: “Indian history is full of examples of our leaders and heroes who had lived with their desires beyond social boundaries. Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru’s reported affairs with many female colleagues were juicy gossip but it didn’t spoil his political career. His relationship with Edwina Mountbatten is widely discussed. The entire world knew about it. Their affections continued till Pt. Nehru’s last breath. Was it a sin? History is also witness to the fact that top leaders of the Congress in 1910s were worried about Gandhiji’s relationship with Sarla Chaudhary, who was distantly related to Rabindra Nath Tagore. Gandhi Ji had confessed that Sarla was his spiritual wife. Kasturba Gandhi was very disturbed. C Rajagopalchari and other senior leaders of the party had to intervene. They persuaded, pressured, cajoled Gandhi-ji to leave Sarla. Gandhiji in his later days slept naked with his two nieces to experiment with celibacy. Pandit Nehru had told him not to do so as the country would rise against him but Gandhi-ji did not budge.”
The AAP leader also went on to question the intentions of some television news channels that aired the footage of the alleged sex tape. He also pondered why India, as a country, never questioned “its leaders about what they do or have done in their private moments”. On a contrasting note, the AAP leader contemplated why a sex video of two consenting adults should grab headlines of the day.
Kumar, in his first reaction to the media on Thursday, said he was being targeted because he was a Dalit. “I come from a poor family. The poor are always trapped. Every time we rise, there are conspiracies to crush us. I am being targeted because I have set up a statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar in my house… I am ready for every agni-pariksha (trial by fire),” he said.
