Ramsharan Nautiyal being greeted as he joins Congress party in the presence of Congress Uttarakhand state in-charge Kumari Selja, state President Ganesh Godiyal and others, at the party headquarters, in New Delhi. (PTI)

 New Delhi: Former BJP leader Ramsharan Nautiyal, father of Bollywood singer Jubin Nautiyal, joined the Congress on Monday, ahead of next year's Uttarakhand Assembly elections. The Opposition party also stepped up its attack on the Centre over the appointment of Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim Governor, alleging that the move was intended to shield him from legal action in the Ankita Bhandari murder case.

Nautiyal joined the Congress in the presence of AICC general secretary and Uttarakhand in-charge Kumari Selja, state Congress president Ganesh Godiyal and Leader of the Opposition in the Uttarakhand Assembly Yashpal Arya in New Delhi.

Welcoming him back, Selja said, “Our old associate, Ramsharan Nautiyal, felt stifled within the BJP. He became disillusioned with the environment and the way things functioned there.”

Godiyal expressed confidence that Nautiyal's return would strengthen the Congress ahead of the Assembly elections.

Nautiyal had quit the Congress about 12 years ago to join the BJP. He contested the 2022 Assembly elections from Chakrata on a BJP ticket but lost. He had also served as chairperson of the Dehradun District Panchayat.

His son, Jubin Nautiyal, is known for Bollywood hits such as Raataan Lambiyan from Shershaah and Zindagi Kuch Toh Bata from Bajrangi Bhaijaan.

Meanwhile, the Congress intensified its criticism of the Centre after Mr Gautam was sworn in as Sikkim Governor on Monday, alleging that his appointment was aimed at protecting him from scrutiny in the Ankita Bhandari murder case.

Ankita, a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort near Rishikesh, was murdered on September 18, 2022. Her body was recovered from the Chilla canal four days later. Resort owner Pulkit Arya, son of former BJP leader Vinod Arya, and two accomplices were subsequently convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The case had triggered widespread protests, with Ankita's family and activists demanding an investigation into allegations that an unidentified VIP was linked to the crime. Mr Gautam's name has been raised in connection with these allegations, which remain unproven.

Selja alleged that the CBI had not examined all aspects of the case and that Gautam had not been questioned. She questioned why the BJP government was allegedly protecting him and criticised the detention of protesters demanding justice.

Congress leaders and Ankita's parents have opposed Gautam's appointment. Last week, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to seek reconsideration of the appointment pending completion of the CBI investigation.

Describing his letter as a “last resort”, Gandhi maintained that allegations concerning the unidentified VIP should be thoroughly investigated before Gautam assumed office.

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