On Friday Hindu Ekta Manch took out a rally in support of a Special Police Officer Deepak Khajuria accused in the brutal rape and murder of the 8 year old Asifa at Rassana in Kathua. The protesters carried tricolour to express their support to the alleged rapist and demanded his release. Shockingly enough, Hindu Ekta Manch was led by the BJP State Secretary Vijay Sharma. In fact the BJP framed the arrest of the SPO in terms of a battle between nationalists and anti-national elements. Its district president of the area termed P N Dogra not only innocent but also a patriot who was fighting anti-national elements shouting pro-Pakistan slogans. He also implied that the protests against rape and murder of the eight year old was a form of jihad.
The Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was so appalled by the rally that she issued a tweet to condemn it. She also termed the use of the national flag in the rally as its desecration. National Conference too has expressed shock at the development. The outrage has forced the BJP to rethink its support to the rally. Its spokesperson Vinod Kaul has sought an “exemplary punishment” for the accused SPO. The party has also distanced from the pro-rapist rally. But it hardly changes the fact that Hindu Ekta Manch is headed by a BJP leader. And the organization which claims to speak on behalf of all the Hindus still demands the release of the accused. What is more, the RSS too has decided to stand by the Hindus of Kathua.
In all this murky affair even Congress hasn’t covered itself with glory. Two of its leaders also attended the pro-rapist rally and delivered speeches in favour of the accused. Unlike the BJP, the Congress leadership hasn’t even distanced itself from the rally.
This state of affairs has naturally generated anger in Kashmir Valley and also among large sections of population in Jammu. Such cynical politicization has effectively taken the attention away from a brutal rape and murder of an 8 year old and instead made it an issue about saving the accused. This is such a dangerous situation and as rightly said by the NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah, it is indicative of the dangers ahead.
The crime when it took place on January 10 had shocked J&K. It triggered protests by the Muslims who demanded arrest of the killers. The issue also rocked the then ongoing Assembly session. Government promised action and formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the case. The SPO’s arrest came days after the police had detained a 15 year old boy for the crime. Ever since one more SPO has been arrested. The crime has put on severe test the PDP-BJP coalition which was forged to bridge Hindu-Muslim divide in the state. But as the RSS and the BJPs response to the rape and murder of Asifa amply demonstrates, the coalition has made little redeeming difference to the toxic communal politics of the Sangh Parivar.
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