news details |
|
|
| Fearing backlash, BJP expresses solidarity with agitating people of Hiranagar | | Bukhari says no to CBI probe | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 3: The pressure from below finally seems to have worked. The fear of a backlash has seemingly made the BJP read the writing on the wall and make common cause with the protesting people of Hiranagar and adjoining areas of Kathua district and even Ghagwal, part of Samba district.
The case in point was the presence of two BJP ministers and two MLAs- at a huge rally at Ramleela Complex, Koota, on Thursday defying prohibitory orders in the area. They made very strong statements against the state government in general and the Police Department in particular. The Chief Minister holds the Home portfolio.
Their presence at the rally of 1000s protesting people, the manner they defied Section 144 and the kind of speeches they made using public address system only suggested that the pressure had mounted on the BJP and that the party would suffer an immense damage if it remained devoid of any activity or if it didn't identify itself with the protesting people of the area.
The statement made by one of the BJP ministers that they will not allow "jungle raj" in the area and will oppose tooth and nail the "police atrocities on the innocent people of the area" simply demonstrated that the BJP had made up its mind to take cudgels with their own government to win the trust of their constituencies.
They and the BJP MLAs spoke in one voice and told the police and the government that they all were for justice the 8-year-old Bakerwal girl, who was allegedly raped and murdered, but they will not allow the police to "harass and torture" the innocents of the area. Their statement that the state government involved police officers from Kashmir in the investigation process was just unwarranted and it constituted an affront to the self-respect of the police officers from Jammu.
They even took those to task who instead of allowing the local police to deal with the heinous crime handed over the case to the Crime Branch and told the oppressed and agitating people that they would meet the Chief Minister and tell her that "CBI probe alone could unearth the truth, punish the guilty and save the situation".
"CBI probe into the episode was the only way out" was the refrain of the ministers and the aggrieved people.
The intervention of the BJP has given "some hope" to the people of the area. It would be interesting to see if the BJP succeeded or not succeeded in making the Chief Minister hand over the case to the CBI for a thorough and an impartial inquiry.
Meanwhile, the people of the area have resolved to continue with their agitation. "Our agitation for justice and against police brutalities would continue," said one of the leaders of the Hindu Ekta Manch, which has been spearheading the movement against the government's "biased and vindictive approach".
Not only this, in the mean time, the people of Kathua on Saturday observed Bandh to register their protest against the official brutalities and force the adamant government to take back from the Crime Branch the Kathua case and hand it over to CBI.
Not only this, PDP leader and Education Minister Altaf Bukhari today ruled the possibility of the state government handing over the case tp CBI and declared that the "case would be taken to its logical conclusion". |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
