Fairoz Khan, the president of the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India, has resigned following allegations of sexual harassment by a Chhattisgarh-based member.
Party spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters here on Tuesday: “There is a difference between traditions and traditions. During the UPA government, whenever there were allegations against a minister or an office-bearer, they resigned on moral grounds. It did not mean that they were guilty.
“This is the Congress’s tradition. Many of those who resigned later rejoined the UPA government. In contrast, take note of the last 52 months. A situation of shamelessness has spread.”
Tewari alleged that no action was now taken “to justify even what is obviously wrong” and that none had resigned in the current dispensation.
“Our current (NSUI) president has resigned on moral grounds. This does not mean that he is guilty. When the facts are clear then further action will be taken. The decision he has taken on moral grounds has been accepted by the Congress president,” Tewari said.
Sources said Congress president Rahul Gandhi accepted Khan’s resignation days after a three-member panel headed by All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev submitted a report on the allegations to the party leadership.
The Congress has not revealed the findings of the report, and the NSUI is yet to formally react to the development.
An NSUI source said Khan was expected to move court to clear his name before accepting any union responsibility.
In June, the woman NSUI member had written to several publications claiming that Khan had sent her objectionable WhatsApp messages and asked her sister to come and meet him, ostensibly in lieu of political favours.
As the NSUI did not have an internal complaints committee, Sushmita was asked to head the probe panel, which also included MP Deepender Hooda and Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak.
The ABVP, the student union associated with the RSS, issued a statement saying the complainant would not get justice until Khan was prosecuted.
