Kathua case: BJP demands action against J-K Cong chief

 New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday questioned Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his inaction against his party's Jammu and Kashmir president Ghulam Ahmad Mir over his controversial remarks on Kathua rape and murder case.

Addressing a press conference here, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar accused the Congress Jammu and Kashmir president Ghulam Ahmad Mir of trying to politicise the case by instilling doubt in the public's mind about the investigation, and said, "We took action and two of our ministers resigned, but now I want to ask Rahul ji that he takes out candle march at night, then why does he not take action against his own state president?"

He also demanded senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad to apologise to the country, over his former polling agent and Jammu Bar Association President B.S. Slathia's attempt to obstruct the filing of a chargesheet in the case.

"Rajya Sabha leader of Opposition is Ghulam Nabi Azad. The 2014 Lok Sabha elections that he lost, his agent for that election was Advocate Slathia. When the police was presenting before the court, he did not let them. Doesn't Nabi ji have a responsibility? He should apologize to the nation, "Javadekar said.

Raking up the 2016 Nirbhaya gang rape, and the incidents of atrocities against Dalits in Mirchpur, during the Congress-led UPA government, Javadekar slammed shot at Gandhi, " Why did you not take out a candle march then?"

In Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, an eight-year-old Muslim nomadic girl was allegedly abducted, drugged, gangraped, tortured and killed. After being missing for a week, her body was found on January 17.

The recent investigation into the incident unfolded the details of the crime, and the accused were arrested which trigged a protest march in support of the accused, while a group of lawyers tried to obstruct the police from filing the chargesheet.

BJP leaders Chandra Prakash Ganga and Chaudhary Lal Singh, resigned following accusations of attending the protest march.

In wake of multiple crimes against women, the Congress President took out a midnight candle march on Friday, urging the Centre to act against atrocities on women.