Kathua rape and murder: Heads roll, 2 BJP ministers who tried to defend accused resign

Heads have started rolling in the rape and murder case of eight-year-old tribal nomad girl of Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir.   Two BJP ministers, who had participated in the Hindu Ekta Manch rally supporting the accused and demanding the CBI probe, submitted their resignation to the party state president Sat Sharma.

Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Forests and Environment Chaudhary Lal Singh and Industries and Commerce Minister Chander Prakash Ganga submitted their resignation to the part president in Jammu.

“Yes they have submitted their resignation to the party president”, Professor Virendra Gupta, BJP spokesman, told DNA.

BJP is holding an emergency meeting on Saturday to discuss the future course of action. Sources said most probably the resignation of the two ministers will be accepted and forwarded to chief minister before being accepted.

The two leaders, sources said, have resigned on moral grounds saying they did want to sully party image. Sources said the ministers have given authority to state president to take a final call on this issue.

Earlier in the day, Industries Minister Ganga hit out at the media houses for launching a smearing campaign against him. 

“First of all, this is the incident of March 1 (when he and Lal Singh addressed Hindu Ekta Manch rally). I am surprised why after one and half months the country’s media remembered it. We had gone there to defuse the situation and listen to their views and put them before the government. If you hear the CD it is clear that I had said I will not make any false promise and will talk to chief minister”, said Ganga.

A first-time BJP MLA from Vijaypur constituency, Ganga landed in a hot soup in April last year when he called for shooting “stone-pelters and traitors” in an apparent bid to bring about peace in the restive valley.

“They are the traitors. Whether they live in the country or come from Pakistan, they can only be treated by bullets. If bullets are not there at least they should be punished, like beating them by canes. Mark my words and see whether they will pelt stones again.  What 'azadi’ are they demanding?” Ganga had told reporters on April 19, 2017.

Forest Minister Chaudhary Lal Singh has been a habitual offender who has been in the crosshairs of allies and opposition to his remarks. An MLA from Basoli, he was a Congress Lok Sabha member from Udhampur constituency before 2014.  

Singh once had used objectionable and disparaging remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and praised Rahul Gandhi. The video of his remarks had gone viral.

However, he parted ways when he was denied ticket in 2014 parliamentary polls and instead Ghulam Nabi Azad was nominated from Udhampur seat. Singh jumped ship and joined BJP and was elected on their ticket from Basoli constituency.