BJP questions Congress silence on Tejpal conviction, targets Rahul Gandhi over Jharkhand stir

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday questioned the Congress party's silence over the conviction of former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal in a 2013 rape case, and accused Rahul Gandhi of adopting a "double standard" on the ongoing students' protests in Jharkhand.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Congress's failure to react to the conviction, despite several days having passed, reflects an approach to freedom of expression and women's rights that is "one-sided, partisan and prejudiced".

The Bombay High Court convicted Tejpal on August 6, sentencing him to ten years of rigorous imprisonment. The court overturned a trial court's acquittal from 2021, describing it as "perverse". It also criticised the lower court for subscribing to the idea that a complainant in a rape case should be a "perfect victim" and behave in a particular manner to be considered credible. Tejpal, 63, was convicted of raping a junior colleague in a hotel elevator in 2013, during an event organised by Tehelka in Goa. His legal team has indicated that he will approach the Supreme Court to challenge the conviction. The judgment has sparked discussion among legal experts about how courts assess the credibility of sexual assault survivors.

Mr. Trivedi alleged that the relationship between Tejpal and the Congress is nearly two decades old, citing instances from 2003, 2004, 2006, 2011 and 2021. "If there was no relationship between him and the Congress, the Congress could have said it is its right to comment or not to comment. But the love and understanding between them, which has continued for the last 20 years, is visible," he said. He accused the party of hatching conspiracies to topple a nationalist government and damage its reputation. He further claimed that the Congress has used people associated with the media to target governments led by the BJP, and that this "tendency" has not changed. He did not provide evidence to support these allegations during the press conference.

Mr. Trivedi recalled that in 2001, a Tehelka sting operation led the then government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to constitute an inquiry commission under Justice Phukan. He said the group behind the sting refused to provide all tapes for verification. After the change of government, he added, the inquiry report was not tabled in Parliament, and only a 41-page summary was presented following repeated demands by the BJP.

He also cited a letter purportedly written by then Congress president Sonia Gandhi to the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in 2004, in which she reportedly sought that Tehelka and its financiers should not face harassment or "unfair treatment". Mr. Trivedi further noted that the then Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily gave Tejpal an award for excellence in journalism in 2010, and that Congress leader Digvijaya Singh in 2013 praised Tejpal for his "excellent work" in fighting "communal forces".

Mr. Trivedi additionally said that after a lower court acquitted Tejpal in 2021, Tejpal had thanked the Congress for its help. He argued that the High Court's reversal of that acquittal should compel the Congress to explain its position. He described the relationship between the Congress and Tejpal as part of a "nefarious design" where individuals masquerading as free media were used to hatch conspiracies, which he said is now being "blatantly exposed".

Turning to the student protests in Jharkhand, Mr. Trivedi accused Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of displaying a "double standard". He noted that the students are "struggling in a restrained manner" and questioned why the party was not responding to their demands with the same enthusiasm it shows in other contexts. He said the Congress's approach to student issues is inconsistent.

The Congress party had not issued a response to Mr. Trivedi's remarks when this report was filed.