Woman Alleges Harassment by BJP Leader at Vajpayee Memorial

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

(Photo: Alterded by The Quint)

An event held to pay tribute to the deceased former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in Jammu, took a turn for the worse when a woman confronted the Jammu and Kashmir party chief Ravinder Raina to complain about a leader who had allegedly advised her to grant sexual favours to VIPs if she wanted to rise up the ladder within the party, The Telegraph reported.

The woman reportedly had served as an executive member in the BJP's Mahila Morcha.

As per the report, she told the leaders at the gathering she was tired of complaining time and again. The woman also addressed reporters later and alleged that the said leader had asked her to "do the setting" with senior leaders, including a Union minister.

"I was given an offer that If I want to progress (in the party), do (this).... I told them that I am from a good family, will never do it nor allow others do it and will raise my voice against it," The Telegraph quoted her as saying.

She also said that whenever she tried to lodge a complaint before the party, she was dismissed and told that they were minor issues. She told reporters that several other women in the party were facing similar issues.

BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur rubbished the charges and said the woman levelled the "baseless" charges after her attempts to induct her husband into the party failed.