By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
After his name was being dragged into the high-profile Ankita Bhandari murder case, BJP National General Secretary and in-charge of party affairs in Uttarakhand, Dushyant Kumar Gautam, on Friday warned that he would take legal action and file a defamation suit against all those who are tarnishing his image.
In yet another development, former BJP MLA Suresh Rathore has claimed that he allegedly paid Rs 50 lakh to his alleged wife Urmila Sanwar as she was “blackmailing” him. Sanwar had allegedly dragged the names of both Gautam and Rathore in the Ankita Bhandari murder case. For paying “Rs 50 lakh to Sanwar”, Rathore claimed that he sold his factory. Rathore also demanded action against Sanwar.
In a video message released through the state BJP unit, Gautam said that he has been continuously working in the political and social fields for the past 47 years and his character has never been questioned in this manner before. However, he alleged that “some anti-social elements are trying to tarnish his image”.
He said, “The way these videos are continuously circulating in the media and social media, an investigation should be conducted to find their origin and the facts should be obtained from that person. The authenticity of those facts should be verified.”
The BJP leader said that he has also written a letter to the state Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli in this regard. He said, “I want to warn all those who are spreading misinformation that they will be investigated. I will take legal action and file a defamation suit against them.”
Gautam also said if people find even a single instance of wrongdoing against him with evidence then he will take retirement from politics.
On Thursday, the BJP General Secretary had written to the state Home Secretary urging him to direct the media and social media platforms to remove the alleged content against him in the Ankita Bhandari murder case and to prevent the direct or indirect dissemination of such material.
He had also submitted a list of social media platforms and news channels along with his letter, which had made “false and malicious” allegations with the intention of “tarnishing and damaging his reputation.”
This controversy arose from a recently viral video and an alleged audio conversation between former BJP MLA Rathore and his alleged wife Urmila Sanawar. In her video, Sanawar claimed that the alleged ‘VIP’ in the Ankita murder case is a person named ‘Gattu’. In another video, Sanawar also revealed Gattu’s identity, which has upset Gautam.
While the Congress party is demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the entire matter under the supervision of a sitting or retired Supreme Court judge, the BJP is trying to distance itself from these allegations by portraying Sanawar as a woman allegedly involved in suspicious activities.