Syed Ali Shah Geelani (Express archive photo)
Even as separatists accused the BJP of trying to communalise the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Kathua, civil society members staged a sit-in demanding stern punishment for the culprits.
The joint separatist leadership, comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, on Thursday said the BJP was trying to cover up the rape-murder, and accused the party and its allies of communalising the situation in Jammu.
“The PDP and its ally BJP are trying hard to trigger a communal flare-up in the region, and this is the reason that BJP and its allies, like RSS and Hindu Ekta Manch, are giving a communal touch to trigger fire in the J&K region, which is already witnessing the worst form of oppression,” Hurriyat chairman Geelani said. He was addressing a press conference over telephone.
“There is unanimous demand of the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the guilty be brought to book and hanged in public.”
“What has further hurt the sentiments of the people of J&K is the efforts of cover-up by the ruling regime partner, the BJP, which is trying hard to protect the men involved in this gruesome act,” Mirwaiz said.
The separatist leader also accused the Hindu Ekta Manch of threatening the people living in the area.
“Nothing can be more evil and shameless than supporting the rapists and murderers… and then threatening the community to which the child belonged with dire consequences,” the separatist leader said.
After addressing the press conference, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik led a protest march against the rape and murder at Lal Chowk. He was later detained by the police.
A group of civil society members staged a sit-in at Srinagar’s Pratap Park demanding severe punishment to those guilty of the rape-murder.
Hindu outfit calls for CBI probe, not release of accused
Jammu: Hindu Ekta Manch president Vijay Sharma Thursday demanded a CBI probe into the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Kathua, while making it clear that they were not seeking the release of those arrested by the Crime Branch in the matter.
“The way state agencies have been conducting probe is not confidence-inspiring,’’ Sharma, who is also state secretary of the BJP, said here. “We want a fair probe that instills confidence among the general public and gets justice for the victim’s family,’’ he said, adding that the “guilty, whosoever, shall be brought to book, but innocent shall not be framed”. The victim’s family wanted the same thing, he said.
Alleging that outsiders belonging to another community were visiting Hiranagar and vitiating the atmosphere, he said, “We only demand the case be shifted to CBI for fair investigations.”
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