BJP's Saharanpur Chief Resigns From Post After Actress Accuses Him Of Sexual Exploitation

Puneet Tyagi, the BJP's city unit chief in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, resigned on Wednesday following allegations made by an actress on social media, accusing him of sexual exploitation.

Tyagi denied the accusations but stated that he was stepping down to prevent the BJP's "image from being tarnished".

Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/@puneet.tyagi.900/

The Mumbai-based actress, who claims to have appeared in nearly 250 Gujarati, Bhojpuri, and Hindi films and is originally from Uttar Pradesh, posted a video on platforms like X and Facebook on October 14.

In the video, she accused Tyagi of sexually exploiting her over a long period, leading to significant mental distress.

She alleged, "The BJP leader developed a bond with my son by frequently giving him gifts, and then began sending me bouquets and other presents. After ending my relationship with my husband, I had been living with my son in Mumbai. Tyagi's closeness with my son and his good behaviour towards me led me to believe I had found support in my life. We had a relationship for a few months, after which he distanced himself."

She added, "I filed complaints with the UP chief minister, the Prime Minister, and senior BJP leaders, but no one responded."

In his resignation letter to BJP's Uttar Pradesh chief, Chaudhary Bhupendra Singh, Tyagi described the allegations as "groundless".

He added, "Nevertheless, I am resigning because I do not want the image of our party to be tarnished by such claims... The truth will come out soon, and I am willing to accept whatever decision is made by the party leadership. I am completely innocent."

BJP leaders in Saharanpur have refrained from commenting on the matter, while Rohit Singh Sajwan, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Saharanpur, said no formal complaint had been lodged.

"We are not aware of anything in this regard. If a complaint had been made, we would have investigated it thoroughly," SSP Sajwan said.

A local BJP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "The party leadership will determine the next steps."