This is not the first time that an attempt has been made to defame leaders who have gone against the establishment.
Former Delhi Minister Sandeep Kumar, who was sacked over an "objectionable" CD, alleged that he was being targeted under a "conspiracy" as he was a dalit and demanded a probe into the issue. "This is a conspiracy against me as I belong to Valmiki Samaj. There should be a probe into this matter. I am very hurt by watching the video on television. There is no authenticity of this CD. Authenticity should be checked," he told reporters at his residence here.
Asked if he was the one featured in the CD, Kumar, who held the portfolios of Social Welfare and Women and Child Development, said that it is a matter of investigation and truth should come out. "I am the only dalit face of the party. I have been popular among dalit community, that's why a conspiracy has been hatched against me. Other political parties are after us as we do not have a political background," he added.
In a sudden move, Kumar was sacked by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal last night after receiving an 'objectionable' CD in which he was purportedly shown in a compromising position with a woman. The decision to remove the 36-year-old minister was taken at a high-level meeting attended by top AAP leaders and the announcement was made by Kejriwal himself through a tweet.
Kumar, however, insisted that he had resigned on moral grounds. "Someone is saying the video is two months old and others are saying it is three months old. There is no authentication Dalits have been exploited always. I belong to a poor family, so I know the facts are distorted. I have been framed because I am a Dalit," he said.
Here's a look back at others who got tangled with sex tapes:
Sanjay Joshi:
Sanjay Joshi was the link between RSS and BJP in Gujarat. Increasingly, he was becoming a threat to the ruling leadership in Gujarat with his sound organisational skill. In 2005, a sex video was leaked that virtually rocked Sanjay Joshi's political career. RSS did get him back in their fold in 2007, but he never regained his old clout. Sanjay Joshi currently remains a lonely figure, brutally shorn of his past prominence.
Sanjeev Bhatt:
IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt has had a history of taking on the Gujarat government post the 2002 riots. He has been serving suspension from 2011. On August 14, 2015 , he was served a show-cause notice to explain his alleged relationship with an unknown woman. The show-cause was given on the basis of a sex video leaked online. Bhatt on his part categorically denied that he was in the video and asked for a detailed probe to clear his name. Bhatt has been now expelled from service.
Digvijay Singh:
Digvijay Singh has had a habit of getting under the skin of his opponents. He is one of the most outspoken Congress leaders who has never backtracked from speaking his mind. Some time ago, pictures of Digvijay Singh with a much younger lady flashed on social media. It caused much embarrassment to the veteran Congress leader. However, going by his outspoken nature, the pictures have not dented Digvijay's stature too much.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi:
During the worst phase of UPA rule, Abhishek Manu Singhvi was one spokesperson who was articulating Congress' views very ably. Point by point, he was puncturing holes in the opposition's claim about how inept the UPA government was. Then suddenly out of the blue, an MMS purportedly of Singhvi caught in a compromising position surfaced. Congress had to temporarily withdraw him from appearing on TV. He is back now, but Congress is no longer in power too.
Hardik Patel
An alleged sex video of pro-Patel reservation crusader Hardik Patel did the rounds on social media and was sent to all media organisations.
Are all these merely coincidental or is there a larger force behind it? We will probably never know, but it is intriguing nonetheless.
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