Chaudhary Lal Singh issued a veiled threat to the Valley-based journalists asking them to draw a line and decide how they have to live.
Shock and anger has swept across Jammu and Kashmir after senior BJP leader and former forest minister Chaudhary Lal Singh issued a veiled threat to the Valley-based journalists asking them to draw a line and decide how they have to live.
"Journalists of Kashmir had vitiated the atmosphere. I want to tell the journalists of Kashmir to draw the line of journalism and how they have to live. Do you want what happened to Basharat (Shujaat Bukhari) happen to you?" Singh told reporters in Jammu during a press conference .
Singh also went on to warn the media persons to mend their ways. "You should control yourselves and draw a line so that the brotherhood remains intact and development and progress continues," he said.
Lal Singh and former industries minister Chander Prakash Ganga were forced to resign in April for participating in the Hindu Ekta Manch rally on March 1 in support of the Kathua rape and murder accused and demanding a CBI probe into the rape and murder case.
Singh's latest diatribe against the Kashmir journalists has triggered a political storm with opposition parties joining the chorus for stern action and lodging an FIR against the former minister.
"We condemn this outrageous threat in the strongest of terms. It should be treated as a criminal attempt to incite violence against journalists and the J&K Police should register an FIR under the relevant statutes of the law," Junaid Azim Mattu, spokesperson of the National Conference (NC) said.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) too condemned the statement and sought action against Lal Singh.
Valley based working journalists, editors, video journalists and others have vehemently denounced Lal Singh for threatening media persons who have been walking a tight rope while reporting from Kashmir.
"Singh's statement indicates that he holds some information about Shujaat's murder and must be investigated. KEG reserves the right to lodge a police case against the lawmaker who earlier as well named a number of reporters for his fall from grace in the wake of Kathua probe, now in a trial state", said Kashmir Editors Guild (KEG) in a statement.
"PDP condemns this open incitement of violence and demands arrest of this BJP leader. His criminally intimidating the journalist fraternity is breach of peace and tranquillity of the region. Action must follow", tweeted Rafi Ahmad Mir, chief spokesman of PDP
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