Lal Singh presses for CBI probe, takes outw rally at Hiranagar
JAMMU: Hundreds of people travelled for 35 kilometre alongside former minister Choudhary Lal Singh in 'Dogra Swabhiman rally' from Lakhanpur to Hiranagar on Sunday to press for the CBI probe into rape and murder of the eight-year-old girl in Kathua in January.
People from Udhampur, Nowshera and even Ramban participated in the rally on bikes, trucks, minibuses, private vehicles and on foot. The huge gathering is being seen as people's resentment against the BJP. The rally is being claimed to be bigger than Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Hirangar before assembly elections of 2014.
Singh while addressing a gathering in Hiranagar said, “We, the brave Dogras of Jammu region, would never stand for rapists and murders. Our demand is the CBI probe. Our premise is that if the government does not trust crime branch for probes in Kashmir valley, why thrust the same agency on us? Why force us to accept the probe done by crime branch."Singh said the CBI probe in Rasana case is must for restoring confidence of people of Jammu region.A youth said, “The rally is for the self esteem of Dogras of Jammu region who were labelled as ‘pro rapists’, ‘hatemongers’, ‘communal people with bigoted mindset’ and who were accused of creating hurdles in delivering justice in Kathua rape and murder case.”
Another youth at the rally said, “We are only demanding CBI probe and not pardon for the guilty. The way probe has been conducted by the crime branch of local police has created doubts. It appears to be a deep rooted conspiracy behind the whole incident. The truth can only come out if there will be a fair and impartial probe by premier investigating agency of the country.”