The BJP organised a massive demonstration outside Kejriwal’s residence on Thursday to demand that Kumar be removed from the Delhi Assembly altogether. The Chief Minister took the position that the surfacing of such a CD was “objectionable” and that it constituted sufficient grounds for Kumar’s removal from the Cabinet.
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Earlier, in her complaint at the Sultanpuri police station in the Capital, the woman said she had no idea what Kumar did to her as she was made to have a cold drink laced with sedatives. What Kumar has done is completely wrong and he has been suspended from primary membership of the party.
Kejriwal’s remarks came after reports that the woman being shown in the video has allegedly lodged a complaint against Kumar.
According to the resignation letter, Sandeep Kumar resigned on August 31, immediately after the video tape surfaced in the media.
The former women and child development minister has been booked on charges of rape, transmission of material containing sexually explicit act and taking illegal gratification.
Soon after the case was registered, Mr Kejriwal said in a tweet, “If the woman’s allegations are correct, this is very serious”.
The suspension of Sandeep Kumar from AAP party came almost four days after the decision to remove the 36-year-old minister was taken at a high-level meeting attended by top AAP leaders. “I am the Dalit face of the party and rivals couldn’t see me succeed, so they hatched a conspiracy to target me”, he said, adding, “Nobody knows how old the video is”, he added.
The woman was approached by an NGO to lodge a rape complaint with the police after the video was revealed in public.
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AAP spokesperson Ashutosh partly defended Kumar, saying the video showed consensual sex between adults but said a public figure can not enjoy “many discretions” unlike an ordinary citizen. Sources say the party, which has often encouraged its members to carry out sting operations to expose wrongdoing, is examining the CD and trying to establish if this was an act of political vendetta or internal disgruntlement.
