J&K Dy CM calls Kathua rape 'small issue', BJP-PDP faces backlash: Updates

Congress criticised J&K Deputy CM Kavinder Gupta's statement and said that the party's slogan of "Beti Bachao" (save girl child) was in fact a warning

The Kathua rape and murder case saw some more controversy on Monday, even as the Mehbooba Mufti-led Jammu & Kashmir government was undergoing a Cabinet reshuffle, thanks to some remarks by the newly appointed deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta. Mufti's People's Democratic Party (PDP) is in power in the state in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

While Gupta termed the case as a "small issue", the induction of BJP MLA Rajiv Jasrotia, who was part of the rally held in support of those accused in the Kathua rape and murder case, in the Cabinet raised questions on the ruling BJP-PDP alliance's stand on the case.

Opposition parties slammed the state government over the issue. J&K's main Opposition National Conference condemned Jasotia's appointment as a minister and raised questions over the nature of alliance between BJP and PDP.

"Why are the BJP/ @MehboobaMufti confused about where they stand on the #Kathua rape?," former J&K chief minister and NC leader Omar abdullah tweeted on Monday.

Congress criticised Gupta's statement and said that the party's slogan of "Beti Bachao" (save girl child) was in fact a warning.

In Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, an eight-year-old girl belonging to a nomadic tribe from a minority community had allegedly been abducted, drugged, gang-raped, tortured and killed in January.

The state police had filed a charge sheet against seven persons and a separate charge sheet against a juvenile in a court in Kathua district last week.

According to the chargesheet, the crime was planned to instil fear and drive the nomadic tribe, to which the girl belonged, out of the region.

Here are the top 10 developments around the Kathua rape and murder case and the controversy kicked up again in the issue on the day of the J&M Cabinet reshuffle:

1. National Conference condemns BJP MLA Rajiv Jasrotia's appointment: Calling the BJP-PDP alliance 'oppurtunism', National Conference on Monday condemned appointment of Jasrotia as a minister. 

Jasrotia, who included in the council of ministers, was part of the rally held in support of those accused in the Kathua case.

 " The shocking development has again exposed the inherent sadism and opportunism of the PDP-BJP alliance, as also the hypocrisy and complete surrender on part of the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, " National Conference (NC) spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu said.

2. Omar Abdullah attacks BJP-PDP alliance: In reference to the inclusion of Rajiv Jasrotia in the J&K government, Abdullah said that the BJP and  Mehbooba Mufti need to clear their stand on the Kathua rape case. 

3. NC condemns new deputy chief minister's remark on Kathua case: NC spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu also condemned Gupta's remark on Kathua case as 'unacceptable and insensitive'. 

"His remarks are utterly insensitive, outrageous and unacceptable and reveal the deep malice that forms the basis of BJP's politics in the state", Mattu said.

He further said if Gupta thinks that the Kathua case was a small issue, then "why were the two BJP cabinet Ministers forced to resign after outrage over their patronage to the divisive Hindu Ekta Manch? 

4. Congress flays Gupta's comment: "BJP leader and newly appointed Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister is making a mockery of the brutality in the Kathua rape-murder case. He has described it as a minor incident. Now, it is proved that the BJP's 'Beti Bachao' was not a slogan but a warning," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a tweet.

5. Gupta issues clarification: Receiving backlash over his statement, Gupta issued a clarification saying that he meant that the case was sub-judice. "Continuously debating on the issue is not right. Giving this matter weight is not a good thing. I said that there are a lot of issues like this," he said.

6. What Gupta had earlier said: "Kathua maamla ek chota sa maamla hai. Isko itna tool nahi dena chahiye (Kathua incident is a small incident which should not be given so much importance)," Gupta had said barely hours after taking oath as J&K deputy chief minister.

"We have to think that this should never happen again, and the child gets justice. There are many challenges like this facing the government. We should not give this incident so much importance," Gupta added.

7. BJP says Cabinet rejig not linked to Kathua: BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav said there was no link between J&K Cabinet reshuffle and the Kathua rape case.

"The cabinet reshuffle has nothing to do with the Kathua incident. Our government has completed three years and we decided to give a chance to new faces," Madhav said, according to ANI.

Minister of State (MoS) in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh also echoed similar sentiments. "Cabinet reshuffle takes place depending on circumstances of the past and present and also taking cognizance of the challenges that lie ahead in the future. This is a very normal thing in any democratic setup," Singh said, added ANI.

8. People protest in Jammu, demand CBI inquiry: According to ANI, several Jammu villages on Monday once again protested in support of their demand of CBI inquiry in the Kathua case.

9. Supreme Court has stayed trials in the case: The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the trials in the case till May 7, saying it was seized of the pleas seeking transfer of trial to Chandigarh and handing over the probe to the CBI.

A Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra said they will hear in detail and deal with the issues of shifting of the trial outside Kathua and the demand of CBI probe.

10. J&K cabinet reshuffle: In a major J&K cabinet reshuffle on Monday,  Kavinder Gupta and seven others were sworn in as ministers in the state's PDP-BJP government led by Mehbooba Mufti.

The shake-up of the cabinet came days after two BJP cabinet ministers resigned over national outrage against their participation in a rally in support of those accused in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua.

                                                                                                                                                                          With agency inputs