Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh will appear before the National Commission for Women (NCW) tomorrow in connection with the blog that he had written to defend former Delhi minister Sandeep Kumar who is facing charges of sexual exploitation after emergence of an ‘objectionable’ CD.
Taking exception to his defence of Sandeep Kumar by terming it a case of 'consensual sex', the NCW asked Ashutosh to appear before it.
Disclosing his decision to appear before NCW, Ashutosh tweeted today, "I have decided to appear before NCW tomorrow as I have been asked by the panel, to present my views (sic)."
He will visit the National Commission for Women office at 11:30 am tomorrow.
NCW summoned Ashutosh for his blog titled, "The Sex Was Consensual, Private Act. Why AAP Punished Its Man."
In the blog Ashutosh, referring to Sandeep Kumar, asked, "What wrong has the man done?"
He wrote, "This video encompasses pictures of a man and woman indulging in a sexual act. The video clearly establishes that both individuals knew each other and consented to sex in a private space away from the public glare."
"...The question then is that if two consenting adults are physically involved with each other,is it a crime?"
While issuing summons Kumaramangalam said, "The summons are in response to what we feel is a very reprehensible and demeaning blog Ashutosh wrote, where he defended a man accused of rape."
She also said that Ashutosh was wrong to jump the gun and pronounce Sandeep Kumar innocent when a police investigation was on.
The NCW chairperson said it did not behove a party spokesperson to defend a party MLA accused of a sexual crime.
She had said, "The Commission has taken a note in the larger interest because we feel that as a spokesperson of a party that governs Delhi and a party whose members have been accused of many incidents of violence against women he should not be writing a blog like this which reeks of patriarchy and misogyny."
Ashutosh had on Monday taken to Twitter to attack NCW chairperson for issuing him summons. He had tweeted, "I hope Lalitha Kumarmangalam, member of BJP Nat Ex/chairman NCW is summoning every writer who wrote about consensual sex. NO pick and choose (sic)."
(With PTI inputs)
