Kathua rape: Perception created by media forced me to resign, says Lal Singh

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Minister, Lal Singh, who had tendered his resignation as the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Forest Minister earlier today, issued clarification for the situation, saying that a negative perception was created by the J&K media, after which deemed it fit to resign.

"When we met people they put forward a demand for a CBI inquiry, we had simply put it across, being the people's representatives. Now, such a perception has been created by some people of the Kashmir media, that I deemed it fit to tender my resignation (as J&K Minister)," said Singh.

"We did not take part in any rally, we were just the messengers, we went to speak with people," he added.

Earlier today, Chandra Prakash Ganga and Lal Singh had tendered their resignations from their respective state cabinet posts.

The resignations, however, are not final yet, as the ministers have not submitted the applications to the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, who, according to sources, has expressed her displeasure for the two and has asked the BJP to remove them from their positions.

The party will now review their applications for resignation and decide whether to let the ministers resign or not.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, also urged Mufti to take stringent action against the ministers who are supporting the accused in Kathua rape case.

Abdullah asserted that the ministers, who have allegedly threatened the police to not make arrests, have no right to stay in the Cabinet.

"The ministers who supported killers of Kathua rape case victim and threatened police not to make arrests, have no right to stay in the cabinet. Mehbooba Mufti should take action just like she took against Haseeb Drabu (ex J&K FM), who's crime wasn't this heinous," he said.

In Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua, an eight-year-old Muslim nomadic girl was allegedly abducted, drugged, raped, tortured and killed. After being missing for a week, her body was found on January 17.

The incident, along with the rape of an 18-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao, allegedly by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, has caused a huge uproar in the nation, with waves of protests rising in several parts of the country, demanding action against the culprits.