Ministers’ Participation In Kathua Rally Open Challenge To CM, Says Opposition

Opposition National Conference on Saturday termed the participation of Senior Cabinet Ministers of the PDP-BJP Government in the Hindu Ekta Manch event at Kathua as an open challenge to the authority of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and said this was a conclusive proof that Ministers of the Government were interfering into the ongoing criminal investigation of the heinous rape and murder of an 8-year-old child.

Two Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) ministers on Thursday attended a rally organised by the Hindu Ekta Manch. The Manch was formed after the Crime Branch arrested an SPO during the investigation of the case.

The group has been protesting against the arrest of a man accused of raping and killing an 8-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district in January.

During the rally, the two ministers-- Forest Minister Chowdhary Lal Singh and Minister for Commerce and Industries Chander Prakash Ganga said they would ask the Chief Minister to transfer the case to the CBI.

In a statement issued in Srinagar, NC state spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu said the Chief Minister should explain how prohibitory orders imposed in the area were openly violated by two of her Cabinet Colleagues as well as MLAs from the ruling dispensation and till now why no action under the law has been taken on this transgression.

“The Chief Minister on the 16th of February said she was ‘appalled’ by the Hindu Ekta Manch march in favour of the culprits of this heinous crime. Less than two weeks later her Cabinet Colleagues not only participated in but also addressed another such event of the same organization that is trying to politicize the probe to shield the culprits.

"We want to know how the prohibitory orders were violated and if this was done with the tacit approval of the Chief Minister? If not, then why has no action been taken against the District Administration, the District Police and more importantly the BJP Ministers who made a mockery of the law through their participation? Is the Chief Minister too scared to act? Is power so important to her that she is willing to be ridiculed in such fashion," Mattu said.

Mattu said the Judiciary should take a strong note of these brazen attempts to interfere with the ongoing investigation and hold the BJP Ministers, legislators and the organizers of such events legally accountable.

“We appeal to the Courts to take suo moto cognizance of these violations and attempts to create hindrances into an ongoing investigation into a very sensitive matter both for the family of the innocent victim but also the people of the State at large. The law is supreme and if the Chief Minister has failed to uphold her duty then the Hon’ble Courts should take note of this collapse in the law and order machinery and take immediate steps to restore the faith of the people in the law of the land," the NC spokesman said.

Seeking fast-tracking of the ongoing investigation, the NC spokesperson said divisive elements were using the pretext of a demand for a CBI probe to slow-down the probe and intimidate both the family of the victim, key witnesses as well as the investigation officers.

"The probe should be fast-tracked and monitored by the Court on a day-to-day basis considering both the severity and sensitivity of the beastly crime as also repeated attempts of interference by Senior Ministers and political quarters. The Police should first be allowed to do its job and then be held accountable," the NC said.

Secretary Jammu regional committee of CPI (M) Sham Prasad Kesar Saturday said that a criminal act is being given communal colour which is unfortunate.

In a statement issued, Kesar said that the brutal and inhuman rape and murder of Asifa is becoming controversial day-by-day with some people trying to give a criminal act a communal colour.

“Two senior BJP ministers attended a rally organised by the Hindu Ekta Manch, a right-wing group at Kutha, Hiranagar where they asked the police not to arrest anyone. They even called the investigation of the Crime Branch, which is being monitored by the high court, as ‘jungle raj’. If it is ‘jungle raj’ then which government these two ministers represent,” he asked.

“It is irony that the ministers are questioning the probe ordered by the state government, of which they are the part. Crime Branch is a professional state government agency. Even the BJP has officially issued a statement that what is the objection to handing over the case to the CBI. They can be questioned why the BJP and its two ministers, who are part of the State Government, are questioning the credibility of state institutions,” Kesar said.

He said the rally is an indication of dangers confronting Jammu and Kashmir. By supporting the accused, ‘Hindu Ekta Manch’ has shamelessly displayed their communal intentions, he added.