Uttarakhand Police has registered an FIR against former Chief Minister Harish Rawat and 29 other leaders of the Opposition party over a protest held in Dehradun on Thursday against the appointment of former BJP Uttarakhand in-charge Dushyant Kumar Gautam, whom they accused of links with the Ankita Bhandari murder case, as the Sikkim Governor.Besides Rawat, the FIR names Uttarakhand Congress president Ganesh Godiyal, former minister Harak Singh Rawat and senior leader Pritam Singh. It also refers to 10-15 unidentified people.According to the FIR, Congress workers had gathered outside the party’s state headquarters on Rajpur Road to organise a candle march against Gautam’s appointment and submit a memorandum to the district administration.The complaint stated that police received information through the control room that protesters were moving towards Lok Bhawan.The FIR alleged that protesters were repeatedly instructed not to cross the barricades and to maintain order, but they disregarded the directions. According to the complaint, the protesters crossed the barricades, raised slogans against Gautam, and attempted to forcibly open the main gate of Lok Bhawan.Must Read | What is the Ankita Bhandari case, and why has Rahul Gandhi added weight to her parents’ protestThe accused have been booked under Sections 132 and 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Section 132 deals with assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging official duty while Section 223 concerns disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant. Inspector Kailash Chandra Bhatt has been assigned to investigate the case.On Friday, Congress general secretary and party in-charge for Uttarakhand, Kumari Selja, criticised the BJP government over Gautam’s appointment, arguing that it raised questions over its commitment to justice in the Bhandari case.Story continues below this adSelja said the Congress had been raising the issue since the beginning and stood with Ankita’s family in its demand for justice. Referring to the ongoing CBI investigation and allegations surrounding the case, she questioned the decision to appoint Gautam to a constitutional post while the matter remained under scrutiny.On the other hand, Uttarakhand Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal accused the Congress of engaging in “vulture politics” over Bhandari’s murder, alleging that opposition leaders were using the tragedy for political gain.In a statement on Friday, Uniyal said the state government had acted swiftly after the murder came to light, citing the arrest of the accused within 24 hours, the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), the invocation of the Gangsters Act, and the eventual conviction of the accused.He said the government had provided financial assistance and employment support to the victim’s family, adding that CM Pushkar Singh Dhami had ordered a CBI investigation in the case after meeting Bhandari’s kin.Story continues below this adInvoking sexual harassment allegations against a Congress MP and former JNU professor, he said the opposition party’s leadership had not shown comparable concern for the victims in that matter.Bhandari, 19, was murdered on September 18, 2022, and her body recovered fiver days later.Bhandari’s family has alleged that an unidentified VIP was involved in the circumstances leading to Ankita’s murder and has named Gautam in its allegations. Gautam has denied any involvement and has initiated defamation proceedings against those accusing him.Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has urged President Droupadi Murmu to reconsider Gautam’s appointment until the investigation into the murder is complete.