BJP’s Lal warns of ‘Shujaat like incident’ for creating “wrong narrative” on Kathua minor rape case

Jammu: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former minister of the Mehbooba-led government, Chaudhary Lal Singh on Friday warned the journalists representing Kashmir media of “Shujaat-like incident” for what he said creating “wrong narrative regarding the Kathua rape-and-murder case.” Meanwhile media bodies in Kashmir have condemned Lal Singh’s warning to Kashmir scribes.
Singh was ousted from the cabinet for rallying in support accused in the brutal gangrape-and-murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua earlier this year.
Demanding a CBI probe into Kathua case, Singh while addressing a press conference in Jammu, said: “They (Kashmir’s journalists) have created wrong atmosphere about the whole case. Now, I would like to ask them to draw a line of journalism and think about how to live.”
Raking up the gruesome murder of ‘Rising Kashmir’ chief editor Shujaat Bukhari, he said: “Are they waiting for similar incident that has happened with Basharat (apparently referring to Shujaat)?”
“It’s better to control yourself before situation get worse,” he said, adding, “They (journalists) must draw a line so that brotherhood in the state remains intact and we also join the journey of development.”
Singh is not new to controversies. In 2016, he threatened a delegation of Gujjar farmers by reminding them of the massacre of Muslims in Jammu region following Partition in 1947.
Earlier, his brother Rajinder Singh abused former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti during a rally in Hiranagar. He was later arrested from Rajasthan by Kathua police.
Meanwhile Kashmir Editors Guild (KEG) has condemned the criminal statement of Lal Singh Choudhary who has issued a direct threat to the Kashmir media. Invoking the brutal assassination of senior editor Shujaat Bukhari, Singh has “suggested” the Kashmir media to “draw a line” and to decide “if they have to work the way he was working”.
Singh, who was earlier being termed as a serious sufferer of foot and mouth disease has moved way ahead and issued a direct threat to the media in Kashmir. He has alleged the Kashmir media of “creating a wrong atmosphere”. He has asked the media to decide “how you to have live” and told them “manage yourself” in wake of the recent assassination.
The threat was delivered in a presser by the BJP lawmaker, who was sacked by the party in wake of his unflinching support to the rapists in Kathua, in Jammu. He has invoked Shujaat’s murder at a time when police in Srinagar is investigating the case.
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 wake of the Kathua probe, now in a trial stage. The Congress-turned-BJP politician has seemingly talked on Kashmir media from a point of strength and possible information about the recent killing in Srinagar.
KEG is perturbed over the sluggish pace with which the investigations in Shujaat’s murder are moving ahead.
At the same time, KEG is keen to see the vilification campaigns that have been going around on social media for almost a year be curbed, investigated and immediately halted. As a firm supporter of freedom of speech, KEG would like people to formally write instead of getting into shady corners of the internet and attack institution of journalism in general and individuals in particular.
In the last few days after Shujaat’s killing, all newspapers in Srinagar have been getting notices from the police seeking “sources” and details of certain news items that were published. This sounds ridiculous in wake of the fact that sources of all these items are part of the published material. KEG sees these notices as an attempt to harass the media and use the post-assassination shock to create the “line” that Lal Singh is talking about in Jammu.
Kashmir media has survived hell at huge costs in last three decades. KEG reiterates that it will fight all the onslaughts aimed at preventing it from recording the contemporary history, honestly and objectively.
In a similar statement the executive members of JK Press Association held an emergency meeting under the Chairmanship of its President GH Kaloo Saturday and termed the statement of Lal Singh as an open assault on Fourth Estate and condemned it in unequivocal terms.
It is worth mentioning that the Media has remained under attack in J&K State in general but in Kashmir Valley in particular. We lost many precious Journalists in the past and the wounds caused due to Shujat Bukhari’s cold blooded murder are yet in the healing stage but Singh’s open threat is a big challenge to the Freedom of Press and violation of the freedom of expression guaranteed under the Constitution of India. His statement is pregnant with startling revelations which must help to the Investigating Agencies engaged in collecting evidence to nab the culprits responsible for the elimination of renowned Journalist in the most sensitive area of Summer Capital of J&K State. The JKPA reserves right to proceed against Lal Singh legally for open threat to Media which tantamounts to the muzzling of Press and threat to the lives of Journalists working in strained circumstances in Kashmir Valley.