BJP targets Congress over silence on Tarun Tejpal rape conviction
Synopsis
A day after the Bombay High Court convicted Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal and sentenced him to 10 years in the 2013 rape case, the BJP turned the verdict into a political offensive — demanding Congress explain its alleged long-standing ties with Tejpal and its conspicuous silence on the conviction.
Key Takeaways
The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court convicted Tarun Tejpal on 9 August in the 2013 rape case , sentencing him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment .
The High Court overturned a Goa Sessions Court acquittal from May 2021 .
BJP Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi accused Congress of shielding Tejpal and maintaining silence after the conviction.
Trivedi claimed Tejpal publicly thanked Congress after his 2021 acquittal, alleging the party had assisted him in the rape case.
Congress had not issued any public statement on the conviction at the time of reporting.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, 10 August publicly questioned the Indian National Congress's silence over the rape conviction of Tarun Tejpal, former editor-in-chief of Tehelka, demanding the Opposition explain its historical ties with the journalist. The party's broadside came a day after the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court convicted Tejpal in the 2013 rape case and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, overturning an acquittal by the trial court.
BJP's Charges at Press Conference
BJP Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, addressing a press conference at the party's headquarters in New Delhi, mounted sharp criticism of Congress, accusing it of harbouring 'one-sided, partisan, and prejudiced thinking' on issues of press freedom and women's rights. He questioned why neither Congress nor any Opposition leader — who publicly project themselves as champions of women's interests — had spoken a single word about the conviction.
Trivedi also alleged that Congress governments had repeatedly shielded Tehelka and its financiers from an inquiry commission originally set up under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, and that successive administrations sought to discredit charges against Tejpal while publicly lionising him.
The Alleged Congress-Tejpal Link
'In 2021, when Tarun Tejpal had succeeded in being acquitted by the lower court, and the High Court overturned that decision, Tarun Tejpal had thanked the Congress party, saying that the Congress had helped him a great deal in this rape case,' Trivedi said, demanding Congress explain the nature of that relationship.
The BJP Rajya Sabha MP further alleged — without presenting documentary evidence at the press conference — that the 2001 sting operation by Tehelka against the then-BJP government was one of the 'greatest incidents' of collusion between media houses and politicians, and that Congress had misused the outlet for political purposes and influenced the investigation process.
The Conviction That Triggered the Row
The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court on Sunday, 9 August convicted Tejpal and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in the 2013 sexual assault case involving a junior colleague. The High Court's ruling reversed the Goa Sessions Court's acquittal of May 2021, marking a significant shift in a case that had drawn national attention to workplace harassment in the media industry.
Congress Yet to Respond
Congress had not issued any public statement on the conviction at the time of this report. The party's silence on the matter has drawn criticism not only from the BJP but also from several independent commentators who note that Opposition parties have frequently invoked women's rights as a political platform. Whether Congress addresses the BJP's charges directly remains to be seen as political pressure mounts.
Point of View
The party is attempting to neutralise the Opposition's habitual invocation of women's rights as a political weapon. The allegations of media-politician collusion around the 2001 sting are not new — they have circulated for two decades — but the High Court verdict has handed the BJP a fresh news peg to revive them. Congress's silence, whether strategic or simply slow-footed, is politically costly: in a news cycle dominated by a rape conviction, saying nothing reads as saying something.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Tarun Tejpal rape case?
Tarun Tejpal, the founder and former editor-in-chief of investigative outlet Tehelka, was accused in 2013 of sexually assaulting a junior female colleague inside a hotel lift in Goa. The Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court convicted him on 9 August and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, reversing a trial court acquittal from May 2021.
Why is the BJP targeting Congress over Tejpal's conviction?
The BJP alleges that Congress governments historically shielded Tehelka and its financiers, influenced investigations, and provided political support to Tejpal. The party points to Tejpal's reported public thanks to Congress after his 2021 acquittal as evidence of an 'unholy alliance,' and argues that Congress's silence after the High Court conviction confirms those ties.
What did BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi say?
Trivedi accused Congress of having 'one-sided, partisan, and prejudiced thinking' on women's rights and press freedom. He alleged that Congress misused Tehelka for political purposes, shielded the outlet from inquiry commissions, and is now silent on a rape conviction — which he said exposed the scale of alleged collusion between the two.
Has Congress responded to the BJP's allegations?
Congress had not issued any public statement on Tejpal's conviction or the BJP's allegations at the time of this report.
What was the 2001 Tehelka sting operation?
In 2001, Tehelka conducted a sting operation that purportedly exposed corruption in defence procurement during the BJP-led government. The BJP has long alleged the operation was politically motivated and linked to Congress. An inquiry commission was set up under the Vajpayee government, which the BJP claims Congress governments subsequently stalled.
