New Delhi, Apr 14 (Agencies): Resigned Jammu and Kashmir minister Chander Prakash Ganga today said that he went for the Kathua rally on BJP’s instructions. He also said that he sacrificed himself to protect the party’s image.
“We were sent (to Kathua) by the party. Our party president Sat Sharma sent us. We went there on the party’s instruction,” he said, as reported by Times Now.
“When we heard the people, they told us since investigation changed hands thrice they don’t trust and they demanded CBI probe. I felt that if my sacrifice is required to protect party’s image I would be glad to do it,” he added.
Ganga and his cabinet colleague Lal Singh were at the centre of a storm over their participation in a rally in support of the accused in the Kathua rape and murder case. They submitted their resignations to the party's state president Sat Sharma on Friday.
Singh too had earlier defended his participation in the rally saying that it was meant to defuse the situation and restore normalcy.
The victim, an eight-year-old girl from the nomadic Bakerwal Muslim community, had disappeared from a spot near her house in Kathua on January 10 and her body was found a week later in the same area.
When Asifa’s body was brought to a nearby village, a group of youths, allegedly belonging to the Hindu right-wing had disallowed her burial in the graveyard owned by her family and relatives. They had even threatened of communal clashes if she was buried there, according to the local All Tribal Coordination Committee (ATCC).
Investigation had revealed that it was a pre-planned killing carried out with the intention of instilling fear among the Bakharwal nomads residing in the area and driving them out. It was found that she was held captive under the influence of sedatives in a Hindu prayer hall maintained by one of the accused. Forensic tests had confirmed the strands of hair found in the “devsthan” (prayer hall) at Rasana village in Kathua near Jammu match with the DNA of the victim
Right-wing outfit Hindu Ekta Manch had taken out protest march demanding the release of the SPO. “It will disturb the situation. We are against the murder of the minor nomad girl but we don’t want our men to be framed,” a report by the Rising Kashmir had quoted a leader of the outfit as saying.
Ganga and Singh had earlier hit out at the police for arresting "one or the other person at will" in connection with the case.
Kathua rape: Ram Madhav defends BJP ministers, says they're not pro-rapists
Mumbai: BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav on Saturday came out in defence of the BJP ministers in Jammu and Kashmir over their alleged participation in a Hindu Ekta Manch march defending the rape accused. Madhav said the two ministers had participated in the rally to pacify the crowd.
Ram Madhav said the allegation on BJP minister being pro-rapists are not true and that the lawmakers had no intention to hamper the investigation in the Kathua rape case.
Madhav said the BJP will forward resignations of the two ministers -- Commerce and industries minister Chandra Prakash Ganga and forest minister Chaudhary Lal Singh -- to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for further action.
“On March 1, a huge crowd gathered in Kathua and our ministers went there to pacify them. A misunderstanding took place, they should have been more alert. Their intention was not to hamper the investigation. Allegations on them being pro-rapists aren’t true,” news agency ANI quoted Madhav as saying.
A rally was organised by Hindu Ekta Manch in favour of the men accused of raping and killing an eight-year-old girl from the Bakerwal community.
The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister had expressed her displeasure and asked BJP to remove ministers Chandra Prakash Ganga and Lal Singh from their positions.
BJP ministers in the Jammu and Kashmir government, Chandra Prakash Ganga and Lal Singh, tendered their resignation on Friday and defended their participation in the rally by saying, “I had gone there, (ministers) Bali (Bhagat) and (Abdul Gani) Kohli had gone to Nowshera and Sunderbani to listen to people. Should we not listen to them? For what are we people’s representatives? Should we allow people to burn the state and die.”
Lal Singh said their primary responsibility was to maintain peace and communal harmony in the state. “Is it fine that state keeps on burning and the people become violent… I do not believe in Hindu-Muslim politics. Everybody is equal for me,” he added.
Ram Madhav, who is also the BJP in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir, said there is no threat to the PDP-BJP alliance in Jammu and Kashmir.
"There is no trouble in the BJP-PDP alliance. We are in touch with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is of the view that the BJP should take a stand on these two ministers and the Prime Minister also advised us to take appropriate action to send a right message to people," Ram Madhav said.
Ram Madhav Singh further said that the Jammu and Kashmir government will ensure justice for the 8-year-old rape victim and said that culprits should be punished.
The 18-page chargesheet in the Kathua rape case stated that the girl was gangraped inside a temple, where she was confined using sedatives. The accused then strangled and hit her on the head twice with a stone.