Lal Singh reiterates stand on Kathua rape case, appeals Dogras to join Bharat Jodo Yatra
Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party (DSSP) supremo Chowdhary Lal Singh yesterday said that he stands his ground on the Kathua rape case and reiterated the demand of a CBI inquiry into the matter.
In a statement, Singh said that he “reiterates his stand in Rasana case where the party demanded the CBI enquiry into the matter.”
Also Read: Security tightened in Jammu for ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’
The party, as per Singh, stands committed to its demand of bringing the culprits of the Kathua case to books and ensuring justice to the family of the victim.
“Even the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir endorsed the stand of DSSP and cast aspersions on the SIT constituted by the then Chief Minister of the State, Mehbooba Mufti,” the statement reads.
Singh’s statement came after many leaders questioned his inclusion in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, given his public support to the accused in the Kathua rape case.
Earlier, Singh’s joining of the Yatra created a stir within the Congress party, with spokesperson Deepika Pushkar Nath resigning in protest.
Reacting to Singh’s participation in the Yatra, former chief minister and National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that Congress should ensure that Bharat Jodo Yatra will not be used by any leader to whitewash themselves.
Singh was a prominent figure in the ‘Hindu Ekta Manch’ rally, which was organized in support of those arrested in connection with the infamous rape and murder case.
Defending his decision to stand with the rape accused, Singh had said that it was a “conspiracy” to defame Jammu’s Dogra community.
Singh said that his party stands for the basic principles on which it was founded and will continue to fight for the conservation of Dogra cultural ethos besides protecting their political and economic rights.
“In no way is DSSP going to compromise the trust and commitment which the people of Jammu region have invested in the party,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, Singh appealed all the members of his party as well as other like-minded people of Jammu to join Bhatat Jodo Yatra of Rahul Gandhi that is scheduled to enter Jammu and Kashmir at Lakhanpur on 19 January 2023.
He termed Bharat Jodo Yatra as an unprecedented event in the history of India and said that it is the moral and political duty of every Indian to become a part of it.
