Kathua rape: Ram Madhav defends BJP ministers, says they're not pro-rapists
Ram Madhav, who is also the BJP in-charge of J&K, said there is no threat to PDP-BJP alliance in the state.
Mumbai: BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav on Saturday came out in defence of the BJP ministers in Jammu and Kashmir over their alleged participation in a Hindu Ekta Manch march defending the rape accused. Madhav said the two ministers had participated in the rally to pacify the crowd.
Ram Madhav said the allegation on BJP minister being pro-rapists are not true and that the lawmakers had no intention to hamper the investigation in the Kathua rape case.
Madhav said the BJP will forward resignations of the two ministers -- Commerce and industries minister Chandra Prakash Ganga and forest minister Chaudhary Lal Singh -- to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for further action.
“On March 1, a huge crowd gathered in Kathua and our ministers went there to pacify them. A misunderstanding took place, they should have been more alert. Their intention was not to hamper the investigation. Allegations on them being pro-rapists aren’t true,” news agency ANI quoted Madhav as saying.
A rally was organised by Hindu Ekta Manch in favour of the men accused of raping and killing an eight-year-old girl from the Bakerwal community.
The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister had expressed her displeasure and asked BJP to remove ministers Chandra Prakash Ganga and Lal Singh from their positions.
BJP ministers in the Jammu and Kashmir government, Chandra Prakash Ganga and Lal Singh, tendered their resignation on Friday and defended their participation in the rally by saying, “I had gone there, (ministers) Bali (Bhagat) and (Abdul Gani) Kohli had gone to Nowshera and Sunderbani to listen to people. Should we not listen to them? For what are we people’s representatives? Should we allow people to burn the state and die.”
Read: 2 BJP ministers, who supported Kathua rape case accused, resign
Lal Singh said their primary responsibility was to maintain peace and communal harmony in the state. “Is it fine that state keeps on burning and the people become violent… I do not believe in Hindu-Muslim politics. Everybody is equal for me,” he added.
Ram Madhav, who is also the BJP in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir, said there is no threat to the PDP-BJP alliance in Jammu and Kashmir.
"There is no trouble in the BJP-PDP alliance. We are in touch with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is of the view that the BJP should take a stand on these two ministers and the Prime Minister also advised us to take appropriate action to send a right message to people," Ram Madhav said.
Ram Madhav Singh further said that the Jammu and Kashmir government will ensure justice for the 8-year-old rape victim and said that culprits should be punished.
The 18-page chargesheet in the Kathua rape case stated that the girl was gangraped inside a temple, where she was confined using sedatives. The accused then strangled and hit her on the head twice with a stone.
Also Read: Kathua case: Meerut student travelled to J&K to rape 8-yr-old, says chargesheet