Mehbooba promises justice, Congress questions Modi's 'silence'

Jammu, April 12: As the issue of brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua assumed commul proportions, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday promised that there will be no obstruction of justice while the Congress targeted Prime Minister rendra Modi on his “silence” over the issue. “The law will not be obstructed by the irresponsible actions and statements of a group of people. Proper procedures are being followed, investigations are on fast track and justice will be delivered,” the Chief Minister said. Her tweet follows protest by the Jammu Bar Association against the handling of the case by the Jammu and Kashmir Crime Branch and demand for a CBI probe into it. Eight people, including alleged mastermind Sanji Ram, have been charged with abduction, rape and murder of the ‘Bakerwal’ (nomadic) girl in Kathua’s Rasa village in January.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi asked “how could anyone protect the culprits” and deplored letting politics interfere in such “unimagible brutality”. Congress leader Kapil Sibal attacked Prime Minister rendra Modi on his silence over the issue and said he should speak up over violence against women in states where the Bharatiya Jata Party (BJP) is in power. Slamming Modi over his day-long fast against the washout of the second part of Parliament’s budget session due to disruptions, which the BJP blames on the Congress, Sibal said: “Why don’t you fast against incidents of rape? And tell the people that you are feeling bad about the incidents of rape and so you are fasting.”(IANS)