Ministers’ participation in Kathua rally open challenge to CM

National Conference on Saturday termed the participation of Senior Cabinet Ministers of the PDP-BJP Government in the Hindu Ekta Manch event at Kathua as an open challenge to the authority of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and said this was a conclusive proof that Ministers of the Government were interfering into the ongoing criminal investigation of the heinous rape and murder of an 8 year old child.

In a statement issued from Party Headquarters in Srinagar, NC State Spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu asked the Chief Minister to explain how prohibitory orders imposed in the area were openly violated by two of her Cabinet Colleagues as well as MLAs from the ruling dispensation and till now why no action under law has been taken on this transgression.

“The Chief Minister on the 16th of February said she was ‘appalled’ by the Hindu Ekta Manch march in favour of the culprits of this heinous crime. Less than two weeks later her Cabinet Colleagues not only participated in but also addressed another such event of the same organization that is trying to politicize the probe to shield the culprits. We want to know how the prohibitory orders were violated and if this was done with the tacit approval of the Chief Minister? If not, then why has no action been taken against the District Administration,

the District Police and more importantly the BJP Ministers who made a mockery of the law through their participation? Is the Chief Minister too scared to act? Is power so important to her that she is willing to be ridiculed in such fashion”, the NC State Spokesperson said in the statement.

The NC State Spokesperson said the Judiciary should take a strong note of these brazen attempts to interfere into the ongoing investigation and hold the BJP Ministers, legislators and the organizers of such events legally accountable. “We appeal to the Hon’ble Courts to take suo moto cognizance of these violations and attempts to create hindrances into an ongoing investigation into a very sensitive matter both for the family of the innocent victim but also the people of the State at large.

The law is supreme and if the Chief Minister has failed to uphold her duty then the Hon’ble Courts should take note of this collapse in the law and order machinery and take immediate steps to restore the faith of the people in the law of the land”, the NC State Spokesperson added.

Seeking fast-tracking of the ongoing investigation, the NC State Spokesperson said divisive elements were using the pretext of a demand for a CBI probe to slow-down the probe and intimidate both the family of the victim, key witnesses as well as the investigation officers. “The probe should be fast-tracked and monitored by the Court on a day-to-day basis considering both the severity and sensitivity of the beastly crime as also repeated attempts of interference by Senior Ministers and political quarters. The Police should first be allowed to do its job and then be held accountable”, the NC State Spokesperson further said.