Miffed BJP ministers defend their presence

JAMMU: Close on the heels of their resignations, state industries and commerce minister Chander Parkash Ganga and forest minister Choudhary Lal Singh on Saturday, defended their presence at the Hindu Ekta Manch rally in Hiranagar in March.

Following an outrage over their presence at the rally, both the ministers had to tender their resignation letters on Friday to the state party president Sat Sharma.

“We went there on the instructions of the party president to defuse the situation and instill a sense of security among the people,” said Ganga, who is a first-time BJP MLA from the Vijaypur assembly constituency in Samba.

He said that 5,000 people had been protesting and had started migrating from Hiranagar following random arrests and harassment by the police.

“We went there to allay their fears. We also assured them a free and fair probe. We also asked the police not to harass the innocent people,” he said.

Choudhary Lal Singh told media that he had gone there, like his cabinet colleagues Bali (Bhagat) and (Abdul Gani) Kohli had gone to Nowshera and Sunderbani to listen to the people.

“Should we not listen to them? For what are we people’s representatives? Should we allow the people to burn the state and die,” he asked.

He said that being the representative of the people, it was their primary responsibility to listen to the people and maintain peace and communal harmony in the state.

“Shouldn’t we hear the people of the state? People are with us… Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus. I have been winning elections since long,” said a miffed Singh. He asked sarcastically, “They (Kashmir-centric people) are telling the truth and others (agitators) are telling lies?”

He said that he never differentiated with anyone on the basis of caste or religion.

We went there on the instructions of the party president to defuse the situation and instill a sense of security among the people.

CHANDER PARKASH GANGA, Industries & commerce minister