A day after Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s refusal to hand over the Hiranagar “murder and rape” case of the minor girl to the CBI, various organisations today decided to join hands to corner the state government over its “adamant” approach.
The case has deepened the regional divide in the state as all Jammu-centric social, political and religious organisations today came forward in support of the demand for a CBI probe into the case to ensure justice to the victim and her family. In contrast, Kashmir-centric leaders, both mainstream and separatist, have been opposing the involvement of the CBI.
Earlier, social and political groups were hesitant about getting drawn into the controversy surrounding the case but after the government’s refusal to hold a CBI probe, Jammu-based groups joined the ongoing stir in Kathua district.
After keeping away from the case for a month, the J&K High Court Association today hit out at the Chief Minister for ‘facilitating a biased probe” into the heinous crime to “humiliate, torture and demoralise a particular community”.
“In the past, several similar cases have been handed over to the CBI because people have faith in the country’s premier investigation agency,” said president of the Bar Association BS Slathia. “The adamant attitude of the PDP leaders against the CBI probe lends credence to the allegation that the government wants to conduct the investigation as per its wishes,” Slathia alleged.
“We will not tolerate this approach of the government to harass and torture innocent people in the name of a probe,” he said while adding that the anti-India radical groups of the Valley would not be allowed to expand their “divisive agenda” in the Jammu region.
Meanwhile, the Panthers Party today held a massive protest against the government for not handing over the case to the CBI. Party leaders alleged that the state government was trying to gag the voice of those who were demanding a CBI probe to ensure justice.
The Jammu Province Peoples Forum (JPPF), an amalgam of more than 50 groups, has already demanded a CBI probe. The JPPF leaders made it clear that without a CBI probe, a fair investigation was not possible.
Meanwhile, The J&K High Court Bar Association, Jammu, has joined the bandwagon of right-wing activists of Jammu terming the Rohingya Muslims and the Bangladeshi Muslims as a threat to peace of the Jammu.
Association president, B S Slathia , said that any move to undermine “Jammu’s age old distinct identity and personality will be defeated comprehensively and in case of need, we will also bring down the State Government .”
Earlier many right-wing activists had termed the stay of Rohingya Muslims as threat to peace.
The Association chief demanded deportation of Rohingyas and Bangladeshi nationals from Jammu as “they constituted a grave threat to the Jammu’s demography and national security.”
He expressed “serious concern over the settlement of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis near and around vital army installations and said there should be a probe to find who settled them there endangering the national security.” .
“The directions of the Jammu & Kashmir government to the concerned officials that they shall not disturb and dislocate an encroacher who happens to be a member belonging to a family of the tribal population notwithstanding the fact that an encroacher whosoever he may be is an encroacher for all practical purposes , occupying state and forest land in Jammu, that IGP Jammu and police will not provide protection for the eviction of such persons occupying illegally the state and forest land and that the bovine smuggling will be allowed unchecked to take bovines from one place to another are a part of a deep rooted conspiracy hatched by certain elements to facilitate demographic changes in Jammu province and hurt the sentiments of the minority community in the state,” said Slathia in a statement.
He said that the Bar Association “will not allow the state government to create Kashmir like situation in Jammu.”
Slathia said that moves had been afoot to change Jammu’s demography since 1994 and added that the past three years had witnessed population changes in and around Jammu and the border districts of Kathua and Samba on an unprecedented scale. “These changes have created a serious situation in Jammu and alarmed the nationalist forces, “he said, and added that “the situation has now reached to the point that the people of Jammu are coming on to the roads to register their protest and save Jammu province from the impending disaster .”
The Bar Association chief said that those who attended the February 14 review meeting of the Tribal Affairs department in Jammu owe an explanation to the people of Jammu as to why they “subverted CrPC and Ranbir Panel Code to allow the tribals to grab the State and Forest land, as also section 188 & Animal Cruelty Act to promote bovine smuggling in Jammu province.”
He said they committed a fraud “on the constitutional regime of the state to promote undesirable elements to vitiate the peaceful environment of Jammu province.”
Slathia asked the government to withdraw all the three “unconstitutional, ill-conceived and ill-motivated directions latest by March 15 failing which the Bar Association will take the whole issue to its supreme body to chalk out a programme aimed at forcing the government to withdraw its highly objectionable directions.”
He also supported the demand of the “agitating people of Hiranagar seeking a CBI probe in the alleged murder case so that the “real culprit is punished and the innocents are not harassed and tortured.” “CBI is an independent and autonomous agency,” he said and added that “only a CBI probe could restore peace in Kathua & Samba districts.”
