Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former minister, Chaudhary Lal Singh once again has stoked controversy on Friday by warning the journalists representing Kashmir media of “Shujaat-like incident” for what he said creating “wrong narrative regarding the Kathua rape-and-murder case.
Singh is not new to controversy and was ousted from the cabinet for rallying in support of the accused in the brutal gangrape-and-murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua earlier this year.
Demanding a CBI probe into Kathua case, Singh while addressing a press conference in Jammu, said: “They (Kashmir’s journalists) have created wrong atmosphere about the whole case. Now, I would like to ask them to draw a line of journalism and think about how to live.”
Raking up the gruesome murder of ‘Rising Kashmir’ chief editor Shujaat Bukhari, he said: “Are they waiting for similar incident that has happened with Basharat (apparently referring to Shujaat)?”
“It’s better to control yourself before situation get worse,” he said, adding, “They (journalists) must draw a line so that brotherhood in the state remains intact and we also join the journey of development.”
Earlier in 2016, he threatened a delegation of Gujjar farmers by reminding them of the massacre of Muslims in Jammu region following Partition in 1947.
His brother Rajinder Singh abused former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti during a pro rape accused rally in Hiranagar. He was later arrested from Rajasthan by Kathua police.