New Delhi, April 15 (IANS): The BJP on Sunday asked Congress President Rahul Gandhi to sack his party's Jammu and Kashmir President Ghulam Ahmed Mir for saying that the investigation in the rape and murder of a young girl in Kathua was motivated.

Addressing the media here, 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."

Javadekar showed a video of Mir to reporters in which he was heard saying: "Somewhere or the other, someone is being protected and hands are being waved here and there. Local population believe that investigation is motivated, the real culprit is being let go and they're trying to fulfil their political criteria."

The Union Minister questioned Gandhi: "We want to ask Rahulji, our two ministers had resigned for joining the rallies in support of the rape accused. So when will he sack his own leader?"

BJP ministers Choudhary Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga resigned on Friday following outrage after they attended rallies to support the rape accused.

Taking a jibe at the Congress President, Javadekar said, "Rahulji had led a candlelight march at night but why don't he take action against his own leader?

"Raising fingers at the leaders of other parties and protecting their own leader is the character of the Congress."

The BJP leader also questioned why Gandhi did not take out any march after the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape. "Why was he silent on the atrocities on Dalits and women in an inter-caste violence in Mirchpur village of Haryana during Congress rule?"

He said that the Congress was trying to defame the BJP.

"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 election, so they are using these tricks," he said.