The action amounts to infringement of my fundamental right to express views freely: AAP leader

“Extremely upset” at what it claimed were his “irresponsible, misogynist, disparaging views,” the National Commission for Women (NCW) has summoned Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Ashutosh in relation to a recent blog which he wrote in defence of sacked Delhi Minister Sandeep Kumar.

According to the notice, which was sent to Mr. Ashutosh on behalf of NCW chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam, he must present himself at the Commission’s office in Jasola here on Thursday at 11:30 a.m.

Obnoxious article

“Considering the gravity of the matter, you are hereby required to give an explanation for issuing such statements that compromise the status and dignity of women,” the notice said. The Commission said the notice was issued in response to “a very objectionable and obnoxious article” published as blog on the website of a popular media channel based in the Capital.

In the wake of Mr. Kumar being sacked from the Women and Child Development and Social Welfare portfolios after a CD containing visuals of him sexually exploiting a woman surfaced, Mr. Ashutosh had written a blog titled “The Sex was Consensual, Private Act. Why AAP sacked its man.”

The party had, however, distanced itself from his views terming them his own and not that of the AAP. Even as the woman in the purported sex tape approached the local police to file a criminal case against the Sultanpur Majra MLA and alleged that she was sexually exploited after being drugged, the AAP decided to suspend him from the primary membership of the party.

The author and former journalist took to Twitter claiming that the NCW notice was an attempt to “muzzle” him, amounted to an “infringement of his fundamental right to express his views freely” and was in retaliation to the AAP’s political prospects in Punjab where Assembly elections are due early next year. The Hindu made several unsuccessful multiple attempts to contact Mr. Ashutosh.

“Why so much attack on AAP? because AAP is winning Punjab with overwhelming majority. Period. They will fail again !! (Sic.)” he said in a tweet.

In successive tweets during the day, the AAP leader had termed the notice and infringement of his fundamental right to free speech comparing it to a symptom of the country having been converted to a fascist state stating, “Who has given right to NCW to muzzle my voice?? Is there emergency in the country that I need to seek permission from govt and NCW ??”

Mr. Ashutosh argued in another tweet that registering police cases against him was an infringement on his fundamental right to freedom of expression mandated by “Babasaheb’s constitution.”

“Atmosphere is created whr critical analysis of history not allowed, freedom of expression will be crushed, voice of dissent suppressed (Sic.)” he said in another tweet.