Deputy CM defends two ministers; says cops harassing innocents

  • | Friday | 13th April, 2018

", a reference to the massacre of Muslims in Jammu in 1947.The Deputy CM accused the crime branch of harassing innocent people. "Former chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, "Dear PDP, the first 'pro-rapist' rally was taken out by two of Mehbooba Mufti's ministers & they continue to serve at the pleasure of the Chief Minister in her cabinet." Both ministers should have been sacked for giving communal colour to the crime and for instigating communal tension in Kathua. They had even called the crime branch investigation, which is being monitored by the high court, "jungle raj". "The investigation should not harass the innocent and the perpetuators of the crime must be dealt with as per the provisions of law," he said.

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Nirmal Singh on Thursday defended two of his party leaders who had made inflammatory speeches against Muslims and blamed the state police investigation into the gruesome rape and murder of an eight-year-old Bakarwal girl in Kathua.Two senior BJP ministers - Lal Singh and Prakash Chander Ganga - while addressing a rally in Kathua on March 4, organized by Hindu Ekta Manch, a fringe right-wing outfit protesting against the arrest of a Hindu man accused in the gruesome Asifa rape and murder case, had asked the police not to make any further arrest of the accused. They had even called the crime branch investigation, which is being monitored by the high court, "jungle raj". They had also demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident."We called for an explanation from state forest minister Lal Singh and industries and commerce minister Chander Prakash Ganga about their reported inflammatory speeches, but both denied having made such speeches against a particular community," Nirmal Singh said.The video recordings of the speech aired on TV channels, however, clearly showed that the two ministers and MLA Kauthua Rajiv Jasrotia had tried to incite violence against the Bakarwal community and also tried to justify the rape and murder of eight-year-old Asifa. The video of their speeches inciting the audience has gone viral.In 2016, Lal Singh, as a Congress legislator, had threatened a delegation of Gujjars with "have you forgotten 1947?", a reference to the massacre of Muslims in Jammu in 1947.The Deputy CM accused the crime branch of harassing innocent people. "The investigation should not harass the innocent and the perpetuators of the crime must be dealt with as per the provisions of law," he said. He, however, claimed that the party's state unit would follow the BJP leadership's suggestions.The opposition - Congress and National Conference - slammed the ruling PDP-BJP coalition for communally polarising the state over Asifa's rape and murder.J&K Congress chief GA Mir, while criticising chief minister Mehbooba Mufti , said, "I am shocked over the dual policies of Mehbooba Mufti, who, on the one hand, is assuring action against the culprits, but on the other hand, she has maintained silence over the involvement of her two Cabinet colleagues. Both ministers should have been sacked for giving communal colour to the crime and for instigating communal tension in Kathua."Former chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, "Dear PDP, the first 'pro-rapist' rally was taken out by two of Mehbooba Mufti's ministers & they continue to serve at the pleasure of the Chief Minister in her cabinet."

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