BJP govt faces embarrassment after minister linked to call girl

Haridwar, Apr 30 (UNI) The BJP government in Uttarakhand is facing an embarrassing situation over the alleged involvement of cabinet minister and local MLA Madan Kaushik and some other party leaders with callgirl Neelam Sharma, who recently committed suicide.

The body of Neelam was recovered a few days ago from a Delhi hospital and her family members cremated it here on Saturday.

Neelam, a divorcee who was reported to have intimate relations with top political leaders and property dealers here and in the national capital region, had hit the headlines a few months ago when she was caught indulging in obscene activities in a car with two BJP leaders of the city. However, all three were later released reportedly due to pressure by Mr Kaushik.

Speculation was rife that Neelam had not committed suicide but had been murdered since she had started blackmailing the persons connected with her.

The issue has been seized by the opposition parties to attack the BJP government. Congress workers held a demonstration here yesterday and burnt the minister in effigy. The party's state spokesperson Rajesh Rastogi said here that the Congress activists from all over the state would sit on a dharna in Gandhi Park in the state capital on May 2 to demand a CBI probe in the case. The former Chairperson of the State Women Commission, Dr Santosh Chauhan, told reporters here that since top leaders, including a cabinet minister, are reported to be involved in the case, only a CBI inquiry can unravel the truth.

Samajwadi Party activists also sat on a dharna at Subhash Ghat on the bank of the Ganga here today, protesting the alleged involvement of the cabinet minister in the suicide of Neelam.

Addressing the gathering, party state chief Ambarish Kumar called on Mr Kaushik to resign on moral grounds. ''He has no moral right to remain in the state cabinet till his name is cleared by a CBI enquiry,'' he said.

However, Mr Kaushik, who was here today to take part in a function, refuted all the allegations levelled against him.

''All the allegations against me are politically motivated.

I am ready to face any enquiry,'' he asserted.

UNI