The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Srinagar is guarded by four heavily-armed security personnel who open the big, metal gates of the building just enough to peep at visitors at the gate.
For the last two days, owing to the uproar caused by the murder and rape of an eight-year-old Bakerwal girl and the Kulgam encounter, the capital city of Srinagar is on high alert. Chilling details of how a young, tribal girl was gangraped and strangled with her own chunni were revealed in a chargesheet that accused seven men including police officials in the Kathua case — a shocked nation thronged the streets of the country demanding immediate action. Meanwhile, politicians in J&K engaged in a blame game that snowballed out of control. Today, BJP Media Incharge (Kashmir) Altaf Thakur, sits in a quiet room in his office cautiously answering questions pertaining to events that have unfolded over the last two days.
On Friday, two BJP ministers, Chander Prakash Ganga, Industries and Commerce Minister and Lal Singh Choudhary, Forests Minister, handed in their resignation letters to the party’s state chief. Both ministers were accused of participating in rallies held by the Hindu Ekta Manch against the police probe in the Kathua case.
After noting that the two ministers had participated in rallies that supported the accused, both the Congress and the Opposition National Conference demanded that the two of them be sacked. “Just because they resigned does not mean they are guilty,” says Thakur, adding that he knew minister Chander Prakash Ganga personally. “He is the gentlest person you will ever come across,” he says, adding that, “Chanderji and Lal Singhji have done a great service to the nation today.”
When asked if the two BJP ministers attended the rally to show support to the cause of the Hindu Ekta Manch, Thakur says the BJP had no link whatsoever to the local organisation. He went on to defend the BJP ministers by stating that they had been sent there in order to calm the chaotic situation.
“The people in the region said they were being disturbed by the police investigation so we sent two of our ministers there to calm the situation that was snowballing into a communal situation,” says Thakur. According to him the Congress is “jealous of the BJP’s hold in the Valley” and is hence instigating these communal rallies. “The Congress’ hand is behind all of this. We just want justice,” he says.
When asked why the BJP ministers were sacked if it was the Congress to blame, Thakur says the BJP had taken the high moral ground. “They have given up the seat for the peace of this nation and not because they’re guilty, I repeat.”
‘BJP is not a partner in any crime’
The rift between Peoples Democratic Party and its alliance partner BJP is apparent from a statement by Tourism Minister and Chief Minister’s brother, Tasaduq Mufti. He told Indian Express that the two parties have “ended up being partners in a crime (for which) an entire generation of Kashmiris might have to pay with their blood”. He also clarified that this is not his personal view but the overwhelming sentiment within the PDP.
Responding to the PDP leader’s statement, Thakur says: “How long has Tasaduq saab been in J&K? Only one year. What does he know about this place? We don’t believe that we have been partners in any crime.” He also added that these statements only reflect Mufti’s personal sentiments and not the BJP’s. “Moreover, our ideological differences are as separate as the earth and sky. We have nothing in common.” When asked why the party entered an alliance if that was the case,Thakur says the BJP had different expectations from PDP.
‘Talib Hussain is trying to gain a vote bank’
Last evening, Talib Hussain, a lawyer-activist who has been leading the fight for justice in the Kathua case, was attacked by an unidentified crowd of people in Udhampur after a TV show.
On January 21, Hussain was arrested by the police while leading a protest rally in Kathua town against local authorities for failing to arrest the girl’s murderers and allegedly hushing up the case. He was released the next day after his arrest sparked an uproar in the Assembly session. Hussain told Newslaundry that he was in a debate with family members of the deceased victim, when a few workers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and district president BJP Udhampur Rakesh Gupta attacked him and called him a “Pakistani”.
When asked about the attack on Talib Hussain, Thakur says he doesn’t know who attacked him but “Congress has definitely created a conducive environment for Talib Hussain to claim that it was BJP who attacked him”. “He clearly wants to wash his hands in the same dirty water. He must be eyeing for votes from the Gujjar and Bakerwal community so this is clearly a very good time to build his vote bank,” says Thakur.
When Newslaundry reached out to Talib Hussain for a reaction, he laughed.
On the question of whether the next election would see PDP and BJP coming together again, Thakur laughed and says: “No friends and no enemies. This is politics.”
Meanwhile, the nomadic Bakerwal community that traditionally spends winters in Jammu and summers in Kashmir are on their way to the Valley. The girl’s uncle Amjad Ali told Newslaundry that initially the family had no hope but due to the support received from the media fraternity in the last few days, they believe that justice will be served. The girl’s parents have now been given security. “The police are escorting the couple by car from Udhampur,” says Ali.
The girl’s mother who had been kept in the dark about the events has now finally been told that her daughter is no more. “She is in shock. She doesn’t understand any of what is happening. We haven’t told her the entire story. All she knows is that her daughter is dead,” says Ali.
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