Kishtwar Violence: BJP protests clean chit to Kichloo

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday staged protest demonstrations against a clean chit given to National Conference [NC] MLA Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo in connection with the Kishtwar communal riots by the Justice R.C. Gandhi Commission of Inquiry.

They accused the retired judge of the Jammu and High Court of being "in league with the Omar Abdullah government".

Scores of the BJP workers, holding placards and shouting slogans, gathered at Justice Gandhi's residence at Patauli, in Jammu, and staged demonstrations against what they called the "NC-Gandhi nexus".

They alleged that Kichloo, who had resigned on moral grounds after the Kishtwar communal riots of August 9, was being inducted back as a minister for "political reasons".

The BJP said it would also hold a demonstration outside Raj Bhawan this afternoon, where Governor N.N.Vohra is scheduled to administer the oath of office and secrecy to Kichloo on Saturday afternoon.

"They have taken everything for granted. The chief minister has secured the interim report in Mr. Kichloo's favour on Friday afternoon. Within a couple of hours, Raj Bhawan began sending invitations for the Saturday's swearing-in ceremony. Evidently, there's a nexus between this retired high court judge and the chief minister to favour the National Conference and its MLA. It all seems to be pre-planned," said BJP National executive member and chief spokesperson in Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. Jitender Singh.