Srinagar: 3 Mar 2018
Ruling PDP’s senior leader and education minister Syed Altaf Bukhari on Saturday said that the party will quit if government failed to provide justice to Asifa Banu, the 8-year-old girl who was brutally raped and murdered in Kathua district of Jammu in January this year.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, the minister also ruled out demand for CBI probe by some groups including BJP, the alliance partner of PDP in ruling coalition in the state.
“As far as the incident is concerned, it is a highly shameful. Children have no religious and it can happen to anyone. It is highly unfortunate that such an incident took place. We will take it to the logical end, let me assure you,” Bukhari said.
“We will not spare anybody no matter who stands by somebody or who does not by somebody. This is a humanitarian issue and the day we feel that we cannot provide justice to the girl, you will not see any of us, you won’t see my Chief Minister here,” Bukhari said in a reassuring tone. He was responding to the questions on open challenge thrown to the Chief Minister’s writ by two cabinet ministers– Chander Prakash Ganga, and Chowdary Lal Singh. One of them, Ganga even went on to call ongoing probe by crime branch as ‘Jugle Raj’.
To other question, Bukhari said the case was handed over to crime branch by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. “Our police are professional one. We are not divided (PDP and BJP). Who will play politics on children? Who will stoop so low? They are also seeking investigation. The investigation is being carried by CB and it will be taken to the logical conclusion,” he added.
Attending an event organised by the Hindu Ekta Manch, a right wing group that opposes the crime branch probe into the brutal rape and murder of Asifa, the two BJP ministers reportedly asked the crime branch of police “not to arrest anyone”.
Asifa Banu was found dead near her native village Rassana in Hiranagar on January 17 after being missing for a week. Later medical reports confirmed she was raped before murder.
