Don’t link reshuffle to Kathua: Nirmal Singh
It is a redeployment and an exercise to introduce new faces; it was party directive and we, as dedicated party members, have to abide by the party directions, says the former deputy CM
Outgoing deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh on Monday said the cabinet reshuffle in Jammu and Kashmir should not be attached to Kathua rape and murder case.
Singh swapped positions with Kavinder Gupta who took over as the deputy chief minister, while Singh dons the role of the new state assembly Speaker.
Singh had tendered his resignation on Sunday from the post of J&K deputy CM.
BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav said, “The cabinet reshuffle was a bit bigger than our expectation. Initially, we had to confine the reshuffle to two to three ministers but since two of our ministers (Lal Singh and Chander Parkash Ganga) had to resign (for their presence in Hindu Ekta Manch rally), we had to go for induction of five ministers,” he said.
While talking to media here, Singh said, “We weathered many big crisis and controversies in the past three years in the form of Burhan Wani’s killing, beef row and Sainik Colony row. Kathua incident should not be linked to today’s cabinet reshuffle,” he asserted.
He, however, regretted that a heinous incident happened in January in Rasana village and two ministers of the BJP had to resign on moral grounds.
When asked about the demand of CBI probe by the people, he said that the case was in the court and it will look into the fairness of investigations. He recalled how a small child was used by people with vested interests and how the ‘JNU gang’ came to Jammu to add fuel to fire under a sinister design at the behest of Pakistan. He also castigated Congress for the flaring up the situation.
Singh attributed the reshuffle to mid-term exercise and ensuring Lok Sabha polls next year. “It is a redeployment and an exercise to introduce new faces. It was party directive and we, as dedicated party members, have to abide by the party directions,” he added.
He also denied that the reshuffle had to do with the performance of party ministers.
“Some differences are always there in a coalition government but I don’t think that PDP ever tried to impose any hegemony over BJP,” he responded to another query. In this context, he recalled how the BJP opposed controversial minutes of meetings of tribal affairs department held on February 14.
Two BJP ministers removed for attending a prorapist rally and an MLA who is reported to have attended the same rally is promoted as a minister. Why is state govt confused about where they stand on the Kathua case? OMAR ABDULLAH, leader of opposition, J&K assembly