The Congress finds itself in a particularly embarrassing situation as it battles a series of allegations of sexual harassment against functionaries of two of its pet outfits.

After a probationary office bearer of NSUI, the youth wing of the party, accused its President of making advances at her and pressurising her for sexual favours, the next in line to earn this dubious distinction is the much hyped social media cell of the party.

A former employee with the cell has accused a senior functionary of violating her personal space and indulging in immoral behaviour. The victim was a social media manager and was given the responsibility of running the official Twitter account of the Indian National Congress (@INCIndia), and the communications handle (@INCSandesh).

In a police complaint she has narrated how Chirag Patnaik, a senior office bearer had made indescent advances at her. "While I was busy concentrating on my computer screen, Mr Patnaik encircled me from behind in a manner most immoral, pretending to check the tweets," she wrote in the complaint filed at the North Avenue police station.

"He also exhaled into my breathing space whenever he encircled me....he also tapped on my hands and shoulders - an act that was totally unnecessary and made me extremely uncomfortable," she added.

A case has been registered under section 354-A and 509 of the Indian Penal Code. The victim said the incidents took place between April 4 and May 23 and said that she put up with his behaviour due to fear of losing her job as he was immensely powerful and could get anyone sacked.

Infact, she has also accused Congress' social media cell incharge Divya Spandana to be of "arrogant attitude" and not acting on her complaint. She allegedly complaint to Divya on May 14 but the latter changed the topic to her performance at work. The victim alleged that she was psychologically traumatised and so she resigned on May 17.

Although her resignation was accepted only after seven days on May 24, in the intervening period she alleged she had a harrowing time as she was "insulted" and shown in poor light in the group messages.

Divya Spandana has called the allegations "false and without any basis, that there is no truth to it. She never told me anything related to it".

Sources said that the victim never mentioned anything of this nature in her parting mail to Divya or in her interview to the HR. In the mail, she mentioned that she "loved working here", that she "trusted" her and held her in "high regard" and thanked her for giving an "opportunity to work for the party".

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