Two Jammu and Kashmir ministers from the BJP, who allegedly tried to defend the accused in the Kathua rape-and-murder case, on Friday resigned.
Two Jammu and Kashmir ministers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who allegedly tried to defend the accused in the Kathua rape-and-murder case, on Friday resigned after huge outrage. The two ministers submitted their resignations to state BJP President Sat Sharma today. It is now the party’s call to take a decision on them.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had expressed her displeasure and had asked the BJP to sack the two ministers, ANI reported, quoting sources.
This comes shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke his silence on Kathua and Unnao rape cases and said the daughters "will get complete justice."
Last month, the state's Minister for Forest Chaudhary Lal Singh and Minister for Commerce and Industries Chander Prakash Ganga, both from the BJP, attended the event organised by the Hindu Ekta Manch in favour of the accused in rape-murder of an 8-year-old girl.
The two ministers submitted their resignations to state BJP President Sat Sharma today.
"Yes, the two ministers have submitted their resignation to me," Sharma told PTI.
He said a legislature party meeting of the BJP is scheduled to be held tomorrow in Jammu where the future course of action on this issue will be discussed.
"We are going to discuss this and other issues at our legislature party meeting tomorrow," Sharma said when asked if he was going to forward the resignations to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
According to reports, the two BJP ministers had gone to the place of agitation at Rasana in Kathua and had attended a meeting in support of the accused to demand a CBI probe in the matter.
Earlier today, the BJP had defended the two leaders saying that they had been 'misled'.
“They should not have protested. They should have ideally not commented until an investigation was conducted. The J&K police conducted a thorough investigation and have arrested the accused,” BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said at a press conference.
The girl, who was from the nomadic Bakerwal Muslim community, disappeared near her house in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, on January 10. Her body was found in the same area a week later.
A Special Investigation Team, formed to probe the incident, has arrested eight people, including two special police officers (SPOs) and a head constable, who was charged with destroying evidence.
The crime branch filed a main chargesheet against seven accused on Monday and one separate chargesheet against another accused, who was earlier said to be a juvenile, at a court in Kathua district on Tuesday.Earlier, opposition parties - National Conference and Congress - asked Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to come clean on the alleged involvement of two of her cabinet ministers in instigating trouble in Kathua region.
While National Conference leader Omar Abdullah asked Mufti to sack her two cabinet colleagues, the Congress sought clarification on her stand on their involvement.
Meanwhile, the PDP leadership will meet in Srinagar on Saturday to discuss the situation.
(With PTI inputs)
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 "Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti")
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