The rape-and-murder of an eight-year-old tribal girl in Kathua in January this year and the subsequent arrest of a local youth and two Special Police officers has pitted coalition partners — Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — against each other.
On Saturday, the Hindu Ekta Manch, a recently formed outfit spearheading protests against the arrest of the youth, organised a shutdown in Kathua, demanding a CBI inquiry into the incident.
Divisive politics
Senior PDP leader and Public Works Minister Naeem Akhtar said, “It is highly deplorable that divisive politics is being played over the most reprehensible act. Instead of trying to whip up communal passions and hamper the investigations, the law enforcement agencies should be allowed to bring the criminals to justice to restore the confidence of people.”
Mr. Akhtar’s statement came two days after two BJP Ministers Chowdhary Lal Singh and Chandra Prakash attended a rally at Hiranagar, organised by the Manch, which has been defending Special Police Officer Deepak Khujaria, an accused in the case.
