Ashutosh hurt people by comparing rape accused Sandeep Kumar with Gandhiji: BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Ashutosh has hurt people's feelings by comparing sacked AAP minister Sandeep Kumar to Mahatma Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and other prominent leaders, adding that action must be initiated against him for his derogatory analogy posted on his blog.

"Ashutosh has hurt the feelings of people, especially by comparing a rape accused to Mahatma Gandhi, George Fernandes and with Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He has indulged in a childish act by comparing them," BJP leader Satish Upadhyay told ANI.

"If anybody has filed report, then action must be initiated against him immediately. Because who is he to judge a person's character, and writing inflammatory things on his blog, especially for a person who raped a woman seeking a ration card. How can he give a clean chit to a person who is facing criminal charges," he asked.

He also criticised the AAP for distancing itself from Ashustosh's comments, and questioned the party's inaction against its own member.

'Why are they silent on this issue? They cannot distance themselves by saying that these are his personal views. He is one of your (AAP's) important members, and he was still not sacked by the party. Why the party did not ask him to apologise to the nation for his comments on his blog," he said.

On Sunday, a complaint was filed at the Sakinaka Police Station in Mumbai against Ashutosh for "insulting" people of the country by referring to icons like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru while defending tainted party minister Sandeep Kumar, who has been booked for allegedly rape.