Kathua rape case: Mehbooba Mufti accepts resignation of two BJP ministers present at rally

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday accepted the resignations of the two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers who were present at the rally organised on April 9.

Chandra Prakash Ganga and Lal Singh, two BJP ministers had participated in a rally which supported the people who were involved in raping and murdering an eight-year-old girl in Kathua district.

BJP state chief Sat Sharma received the resignations of both the ministers on Sunday morning, who forwarded them to Mufti, who later, accepted the resignations and passed them on to the state governor for further action.

The two ministers had resigned following accusations of supporting the culprits.

However, defending themselves of the accusation, Lal Singh said that he resigned on moral grounds. Singh said, “I gave resignation on moral values. If someone is hurt because of me, I have no right to remain in that post, that is why I resigned. I also said that one must live by their conscience, and my conscience did not approve that violence and riots are caused just for the resignation of two ministers. I have done nothing but I resigned so that there's no violence in the country.”

Singh also demanded for a CBI investigation into the heinous crime, saying that only an investigation will bring out the truth to the fore front.

The recent investigation into the incident gave horrific details of the crime and the accused were arrested, which triggered a massive protest march in the state in support of the accused. A group of lawyers also tried to stop the police from filing a charge sheet against the accused.

Meanwhile, the whole issue started a blame game between the BJP and the Congress. The BJP, in their Sunday conference, slammed the Congress and asked them to take an action against the state party chief Ghulam Ahmad Mir for saying the investigation into the incident was ‘motivated’.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said, “Mir had made a statement that the local population thinks that the culprits in the Kathua rape case are still out and the investigation is motivated and they are trying to dilute the case. Mir is trying to politicise the case by instilling doubt in the public's mind about the investigation.”

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Javadekar added, “We took action and two of our ministers resigned, but now I want to ask Rahul Ji that he takes out candle march at night, then why does he not take action against his own state president?”

Javadekar also demanded an apology from Ghulam Nabi Azad over his former polling agent and Jammu Bar Association President BS Slathia’s attempt to stop the filing of the charge sheet.

Javadekar openly slammed Rahul Gandhi and Congress, and said, “Why was he silent on the atrocities on Dalits and women in an inter-caste violence in Mirchpur village of Haryana during Congress rule? The Congress had done nothing in 10 years when it was in power. They are trying to defame the BJP. They can't compete with us in the election, so they are using these tricks.”