2 Ministers opposing police probe in Kathua case were misled, misguided: Lekhi

Faced with adverse public opinion against the Kathua and Unnao rape cases, the BJP on Friday  claimed that its rivals were “selectively” picking the two instances to target it and asserted that stringent action was being taken in both the cases.

BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi defended the two Jammu & Kashmir Ministers of the party, who had joined a march against the police probe into the ghastly rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, saying they were “misled and misguided”. The party did not share their views and they should have maintained that the law was taking its course, she told a press conference here. To a question on whether the party would take action against the two Jammu and Kashmir Ministers, the New Delhi MP said it was not a “crime” to be misled.

“The lesson for them is allow the law to take its own course before opening your mouth,” Lekhi said. The opposition parties are putting pressure on Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to sack the two Ministers.

The BJP had maintained that it was an “anti-human” and heinous crime and sought stringent action against the accused, Lekhi said, adding that the “rumour mill” was at work to claim that the saffron party was silent on the matter.

The police had carried out a “very fair investigation” and arrested eight accused in the case, Lekhi said, while suggesting that the Congress might have had a role in the public protests against the probe.

The children and women, who were victims of such heinous crimes, had no religion and such “abhorrent politics” should be shunned, the New Delhi MP said. Referring to the Unnao rape case, Lekhi said the police had got the victim’s statement recorded before a magistrate last year, in which she had not named the MLA. She had accused Sengar, the MLA of Bangarmau, only a month later, the BJP spokesperson added.

The Uttar Pradesh Government had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and handed over the probe to the CBI, she said, adding that the police had acted against a chief medical officer, a deputy superintendent of police and other officials in the case of the victim’s father’s death in jail. He was an accused in an Arms Act case. Asked if the party was contemplating action against Sengar, she said the probe should be allowed to be concluded. Lekhi also accused the Congress, whose president Rahul Gandhi had last night led a candlelight march here in protest against the growing incidents of crime against women in the country, of “picking and choosing” and said the opposition party had not protested in a similar manner against the Assam case or the 2012 gangrape case in Delhi.