Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi Join Ankita Bhandari Parents' India Gate Protest

Ankita Bhandari was killed at a resort in Uttarakhand in 2022. Her parents' continuing demand for justice has now brought them to Delhi's India Gate, according to The Hindu.

Their immediate objection concerns Dushyant Kumar Gautam's appointment as Sikkim Governor. NDTV India reported that the parents oppose the appointment because his name has cropped up in connection with the September 2022 case. That is the family's allegation, not an established finding of wrongdoing.

On October 14, 2026, the parents were protesting at India Gate against Gautam's appointment. The Hindu reported their specific demand: put the appointment on hold until the ongoing CBI probe into the murder is complete.

Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi met the family at the protest site that day, according to India News. Their visit brought the family's objections into a political gathering at one of Delhi's most prominent public sites.

Times now reported that Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, expressed solidarity with the parents as they demanded justice for their daughter. NDTV also reported the government's position that firm action had been taken in the murder case.

The parents' demand is tied to an investigation that remains ongoing, according to The Hindu. They want the governor appointment paused pending its completion, rather than treated as separate from their concerns about the case.

The government's assertion that firm action was taken has not resolved the family's objections. The supplied coverage does not report a decision to put the appointment on hold or a completion date for the CBI probe.

The concrete issues ahead are whether Gautam's appointment is put on hold and when the CBI investigation concludes. The family has made completion of that probe the condition for its requested pause, according to The Hindu.