Mufti accepts resignations of mins present at rally

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday accepted the resignations of two controversial BJP ministers, who had participated in a rally in support of the people arrested in connection with the rape and murder of an eight-year-old Muslim girl in Kathua, officials said.

The resignations of Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga were received from BJP state chief Sat Sharma on Sunday morning which were immediately accepted and forwarded to Governor NN Vohra for completing the procedural formalities, they said.

With these resignations, the number of ministers in the state government has come down to 22, including nine from the BJP.

There are three vacancies in the council of ministers as the PDP had last month removed its finance minister Haseeb Drabu unceremoniously, they said. BJP general secretary Ram Madhav, who had held consultations with legislators of the party in Jammu yesterday, had announced the resignations would be forwarded for further action thereby ending a simmering political crisis in the state. Both Ganga and Singh had participated in a rally on March 1 after the crime branch of Jammu and Kashmir Police had arrested the nephew of a caretaker of a 'Devisthan' (temple) in connection with the kidnapping and rape of the little girl.

During investigation, the police arrested the caretaker and alleged he was the mastermind behind the kidnapping, rape and killing of the girl from a nomadic tribe. The police claimed the motive behind the crime was to terrify the nomadic community and drive it out of the village. The girl was kidnapped on January 10 and her body was found on January 17. During investigation, the crime branch alleged she was drugged and repeatedly raped before being killed by crushing her head with stones. Agencies