Jammu, April 14, 2018 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and Christians of Jammu have demanded justice for Kathua rape and murder victim Aasifa Bano and severe punishment to the persons involved in this brutal incident. Shouting slogans ‘Asifa hum sharminda hain tere Qatil zinda hain (Asifa we’re ashamed that your murderers are alive), people from all four communities assembled at Tallab Khatikan and demanded that the perpetrators of this heinous crime should be hanged.
Eight-year-old Aasifa was kidnapped, held captive, raped and subsequently murdered after she disappeared on January 10, when she has left her home to graze horses. Her body was recovered a week later in some bushes, not far from her home in Rasana village of Kathua district in Jammu region.
“Those who murdered Aasifa don’t belong to any religion as no religion of the world teaches its followers to commit such a heinous crime. We demand the accused should be hanged to death,” a Muslim youth, Jehangir Ahmed Butt, said.
He condemned the BJP leaders who had attended a rally organised by the extremist Hindu organizations Hindu Ekta Manch in Kathua and had questioned the credibility of the police and Crime Branch. He also castigated some nefarious elements who are trying to create a communal divide in the Jammu region. He said, “We the people of Jammu have lived together for the past 70 years. We would never tolerate such divisive forces who are trying to give a communal colour to Aasifa case.”
President Rajinder Bazar Association, Atul Raj Pal said, “Let us not get divided over Aasifa case. She was my daughter, every Hindu’s daughter and those who murdered our daughter ruthlessly need to be hanged publicly.”
In the evening, students from Ladakh and Jammu organised a candle march. The students assembled outside the Press Club of Jammu and later marched towards the Bikram Chowk, where they prayed for peace to the departed soul. A Ladakhi student said, “We’ve assembled here in support of a girl child who was brutally raped and murdered by some beasts.”
Meanwhile, amid shame and mounting pressure, two so-called ministers from Bharatiya Janata Party, Chowdhary Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga, who had rallied in support of the perpetrators of rape and murder of Aasifa tendered their resignations. “They have submitted their resignations to state BJP president,” BJP General Secretary in occupied Kashmir, Ashok Kaul, in an interview said.
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