Chandigarh, August 6-Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Manish Tewari on Sunday accused Chandigarh Police of giving in to political pressure and diluting the criminal case against Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala’s son Vikas, who was arrested for stalking and attempting to “kidnap” a girl on Friday night.

Addressing media persons here, Tewari alleged that the police facilitated Vikas Barala’s bail and did not apply non-bailable Sections 365 and 511 of the IPC in the FIR, though the victim had clearly stated that attempt was made to kidnap her.

“What message does Chandigarh Police want to give to young girls of the city who have to go out for work that if the man making predatory overtures to them happens to be related to a senior BJP leader, it is okay?” he asked.

Describing the police action as highly reprehensible, Tewari said the police, perhaps, want to tell people that it had different sets of laws to apply on common people and those connected politically.

He said that while the initial response of the police to act swiftly on receiving a distress call from the victim needs to be complimented, it did not show the same vigour once it was known that the accused was Barala’s son.

Hitting out at Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for trying to defend Barala by saying that he could not be punished for the mistake of his son, Tewari said the BJP leaders used to speak in a different tone at the time of Jessica Lal case.