2 BJP ministers who attended rally to support accused in Asifa rape-n-murder case resign

New Delhi/Jammu: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke his silence over the rape and murder of Kathua minor girl Asifa Bano and said incidents like Asifa rape-and-murder case shake “our sensibilities” while assuring that criminals will not be spared the two BJP Ministers in the Mehbooba Mufti led PDP-BJP coalition government sent their resignations to state party president Sat Sharma for onward submission to BJP’s National President Amit Shah.
Prime Minister in his statement had said “I want to assure that no criminal will be spared; our daughters will get justice,” said PM, in an apparent reference to Unnao and Kathua cases.
“Such incidents shake our sensibilities,” he was quoted as saying in a media report. In Kathua, an eight-year-old girl from a minority nomadic community disappeared near her house on January 10. A week later, her body was found in the same area.
Before the Prime Minister’s state the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also said that the family of the Kathua rape victim should get justice. Talking to reporters the Home Minister said that he is in favour of ensuring proper justice to the family of the 8-year-old girl, who was raped and killed in Kathua three months ago.“The victims’ family should get justice,” the minister said when asked about the case.
Two BJP ministers Choudhary Lal Singh and Chader Prakash Ganga who took part in a rally organised to support accused in Asifa rape-and-murder case last month have submitted their resignations to the party chief, sources said Friday.
The resignation comes in the backdrop of outrage over their particpation in a rally organised by Hindu Ekta Manch to support accused in Asifa rape-and-murder case.
Earlier, National Conference had warned of launching a civil disobedience movement if the two ministers were not sacked from the cabinet.
Mehbooba Mufti has called a meeting of PDP legislators and senior leaders in Srinagar on Saturday to chalk out the future course of action vis-a-vis to the Kathua rape and murder case and the prevailing law and order situation in the Kashmir Valley.
In Kathua, an eight-year-old girl from a minority nomadic community disappeared near her house on January 10. A week later, her body was found in the same area.
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.