Congress’ connections with Hindu Ekta Manch tumble out
Kant Kumar, secretary, Hindu Ekta Manch, is a prominent Congress leader. Romi Sharma of the Youth Congress is a vocal supporter of the Manch.
heading the agitation and supporting the Hindu Ekta Manch, was the chief polling agent of Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad in the 2014 elections. When he was asked by the media about his Congress connection, he said that he has a personal relationship with Ghulam Nabi Azad.
In the Hindu Ekta Manch agitation, there are many local Congress leaders in the executive body of the Manch, reports from Jammu said. Kant Kumar, secretary, Hindu Ekta Manch, is a prominent Congress leader and former sarpanch. Similarly, Romi Sharma is also a Youth Congress president and vocal supporter of the manch. When state Congress president Ghulam Ahmed Mir was asked about the involvement of the Congress leaders in a pro-rapist agitation, he said that he has expelled Kant Kumar from the party and didn’t answer about the Congress’ double standards. He evaded questions on why Rahul Gandhi and the Congress remained silent for about three months on the rape and murder case.
Similarly, former Chief Minister of J& K Omar Abdullah is trying to score brownie points against CM Mehbooba and the BJP by tweeting frequently on the case. PDP responded by questioning Omar on whether he has been able to give justice to Shopian rape and murder victims after handing over the case to the CBI.
State Congress president Ghulam Ahmed Mir earlier pressed for the sacking of two BJP ministers over their involvement in the entire episode of Kathua and subsequent polarisation of the Jammu region. Mir had earlier said that he is shocked that Mehbooba Mufti was maintaining silence despite having all information about the “role” of her two Cabinet colleagues in the Kathua case.
Meanwhile, the family of the murdered Kathua rape victim has silently migrated from Rasana village to a safer place in the Kashmir Valley and then finally to Kargil as they have received threats from different quarters. Police sources confirmed their earlier departure from Hira Nagar and said that though they used to migrate during the summer months, this time they have left the place much earlier. Earlier, many of their relatives including the lawyer of the Bakerwal community, who was arrested by the police for being on the forefront of the demand for justice for the victim, told the media that they were all receiving threats and they are seriously thinking of migrating from the place. The lady council for the victim has also allegedly received threats from many Hindu organisations. Jammu and Kashmir police chief Shesh Paul Vaid is in the centre of media attention for his recent utterances over the killings of youths at the encounter sites and about the Kathua rape and murder case. He has said that he was pained when two BJP ministers questioned the professionalism of the J&K police regarding the probe. He said that they work as police officers, not as Muslim, Hindu or Christian officers.
After the massive protests by Jammu Bar Association and the civil society of Jammu, the government has finally recommended two Sikh advocates to represent the government in this case in order to show that the lawyers are from neutral faith. The controversy raged when rumours started flying in Jammu that CM Mufti brought Muslim officers from Kashmir to probe the Kathua rape and murder case.
They were demanding the shifting of SSP Jalla, not knowing that he was in fact Ramesh Kumar Jalla, a Hindu. Jalla cracked the case and arrested all the accused including four cops. The police chief was under severe pressure from J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who said that during the anti-militancy operations, the police and the security forces were not adhering the SOP, resulting in a lot of collateral damages. He has been appealing to the youths not to come near the encounter sites. He rebuffed allegations that the J&K police was not competent enough to probe the Kathua case. He said that they have arrested their own four cops for destroying evidence and said that they investigate every crime as professional officers and it has nothing to do with the religion of the officer. He said that he has no objection if the probe is assigned to the CBI, but added that they have handled the case in the most professional manner.