Kotkhai rape, murder case rocks HP assembly session

BJP HAD MOVED AN ADJOURNMENT MOTION TO SUSPEND OTHER WORKS AND DISCUSS PREVAILING LAW AND ORDER SITUATION

SHIMLA: The rape and murder of a 16-year-old student in Kotkhai tehsil of Shimla district in the first week of July, rocked the Him ac hal Pradesh Assembly on the first day of the ongoing session, on Tuesday. The B ha ra ti ya Janata Party (BJP) demanded a discussion on the prevailing law and order situation in state.

Soon after the House paid ho mage to former Nahan legislator Sadanand Chauhan, BJP’s chief whip Sure shBhardwaj inquire d about the adjournment notice moved under rule 67. He demanded a discussion on the Kotkhai rape and murder case and demanded that the House should also discuss the prevailing law and order situation in the state.

In his speech, Bhardwaj repeatedly also referred to the photographs of the youth that were uploaded on the Facebook page of chiefminister Virbhadra Singh, presenting them as accused, even though the police said it did not have any evidence to establish the same.

Intervening in matter, parliamentary affairs minister Muke sh Agnihotri mentioned that the case was subjudice and hence it cannot be taken up for discussion in the House. This however did not go down well with the Opposition legislators who later resorted to sloganeering in the House.

Speaker Brij Bihari Lal Butail informed the House that he did receive a notice from the Opposition and has referred the matter to the government for it’s consideration. “The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the matter. You (Opposition legislators) should wait for its results,” he said.

Following this, B JP legislators rose from their seats and insisted the speaker to adjourn the House. Health min is terKaul Sing hT hak ur suggested that Congress and BJP legislators should consider discussing the matter under rule 130.

Arguing that the responsibility to protect the people rests with the government, leader of Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal asked the speaker to facilitate the discussion. He also raised the pendency of various criminal cases in the state. Speaking on the mysterious death of forest guard Ho shiy ar Sing hi nS under na gar, Dhumal alleged that the investigation in the case has been “botched up”.

The House was briefly adjourned for 15 minutes. When it reassembled, Dhumal urged the speaker to take up discussion.

However, the proposal was rejected, following which the Opposition marched into the well of the House raising slogans against the government. Amid the sloganeering, the House was adjourned for the day.

Outside the House, Dhumal also blamed the government for the “breakdown” of law and order in the state. “The government has failed to curb murders, rapes, and other heinous crimes in the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Gudiya Nyay Manch that was constituted to seek justice for the Kotkhai victim will protest outside the Vidhan Sabha tomorrow.