Sharmistha Mukherjee Writes Open Letter to Rahul Gandhi, Denouncing Sexual Abuse Towards Her and Father, Pranab Mukherjee

Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of former President Pranab Mukherjee, has penned an open letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding herself and her father being subjected to vile abuse with sexual connotations by Naveen Shahi.

Shahi appears to have close ties with the Congress party, as evidenced by his following by several senior leaders and members of the Indian National Congress social media team.

I would like 2 bring 2 notice of ⁦@DelhiPolice⁩ a series of tweets by ⁦@Naveen_Kr_Shahi⁩ a supporter of ⁦@INCIndia⁩ thru which me & my father, former President of India ⁦@CitiznMukherjee⁩ have been subjected to vilest of abuse with sexual connotation. pic.twitter.com/uZlyIsKQXN

— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) February 9, 2024

Since the publication of my book 'Pranab My Father : A Daughter Remembers' a month back, I and my father have been subjected to vicious and continuous trolling by your supporters on social media. The book contains some observations about you made in my fathers' diaries which are not very complimentary. However, as you seem to be a torchbearer of Freedom of Expression, you should know that FoE involves not just praising someone, but also the ability to tolerate criticism gracefully. But you seem to have failed miserably to convince even your own followers of one of the most crucial Rights granted by our Constitution, which is also one of the core values of Congress. Your favourite slogan of 'Nafrat ke Bazaar me Mohabbat ki Dukan' also seem to fall on deaf ears of your own followers as they unleash all their 'Nafrat' on anyone daring to criticize you, she said in letter.

If your followers believe, and if you too want to create the impression that Congress is but a personal Zamindari of the Gandhi-Nehru family; and the positions are doled nothing whims and fancies of your family just like the feudal lords, expecting in return out on the generations, you are welcome to your ideas of what Congress is or should be, servitude for generations, you are welcome to your ideas of what Congress is or should be though I don't abide by it.

I would like 2 bring 2 notice of ⁦@DelhiPolice⁩ a series of tweets by ⁦@Naveen_Kr_Shahi⁩ a supporter of ⁦@INCIndia⁩ thru which me & my father, former President of India ⁦@CitiznMukherjee⁩ have been subjected to vilest of abuse with sexual connotation. pic.twitter.com/uZlyIsKQXN

— Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) February 9, 2024

You are talking about Nyay. As an ordinary citizen of India, I demand Nyay from you as these vile abuses seem to have originated with someone having a formal or informal association with your organisation. I demand Nyay as a woman, who herself, and whose father (leaving aside the fact that he was a former President of India) have been subjected character assassination and the most vile abuses having sexual connotations. To show that you are serious about Nyay, please take action against this person Naveen Shahi, all the others who reacted positively to his abuses, against your social media head and your communication head for allowing this kind of language and abuses. Even if this person is nc formally associated with your organisation, immediately register a police complaint against him as he is purportedly doing it in your support. Show that your promise of Nyay is not just an empty election slogan.