AAP leader Ashutosh to appear before NCW today for defending Sandeep Kumar in `sex CD` case

In his article titled "The Sex Was Consensual, Private Act. Why AAP Punished Its Man", Ashutosh had said a public figure is entitled to his or her private space and they should not be chased.

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh will on Thursday appear before the National Commission for Women (NCW) to give an explanation for his controversial blog in defence of sacked Delhi minister Sandeep Kumar over an "objectionable CD".

The NCW had on Monday summoned the AAP leader for "demeaning" women through the article.

Kumar has since been booked for rape and arrested after the woman featuring in the video filed a complaint with police.

In his article titled "The Sex Was Consensual, Private Act. Why AAP Punished Its Man", which was published on NDTV website on September 01, Ashutosh had said a public figure is entitled to his or her private space and they should not be chased, suggesting that what Kumar did in private should not be a matter of debate and also that the liaison between Kumar and the woman could have been consensual.

He said that tall public figures such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Atal Behari Vajpayee and George Fernandes had relations with more than one women but this aspect of their life was seldom discussed or held against them.

NCW chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam had said on Monday that the language of the article was derogatory and "demeaning" towards women.

While issuing summons Kumaramangalam said, "The summons are in response to what we feel is a very reprehensible and demeaning blog Ashutosh wrote, where he defended a man accused of rape."

She also said that Ashutosh was wrong to jump the gun and pronounce Sandeep Kumar innocent when a police investigation was on.

The NCW chairperson said it did not behove a party spokesperson to defend a party MLA accused of a sexual crime.

(With Agency inputs)