The rally was organised under the banner of “Hindu Ekta Manch” and it is blatant misuse of religion for violent and political purposes.

Former Vice-President, Jawahar Lal Nehru University Students’ Union and student leader Shehla Rashid has expressed shock over a march by BJP leaders in Kathua asking for the release of SPO Deepak Khajuria who has been arrested by Crime Branch for raping and murdering a minor nomad girl at Heera Nagar in Jammu region.

“Such rallies should be declared as illegal. The shocking attempts by BJP to communalize the incident are highly condemnable. The rally was organised under the banner of “Hindu Ekta Manch” and it is blatant misuse of religion for violent and political purposes. This so-called “Hindu Ekta Manch” is nothing but a cover. It is BJP hiding behind religion to further its political agenda. No justice loving Hindu can support rape and murder,” she said.

Shehla Rashid said that BJP should refrain from using the name of Hindus to further its violent aims and stop defaming the Hindu community.

“I appeal to the people of Jammu and Kashmir not to look at this issue through the prism of communalism. It is an issue of kidnapping, rape and brutal murder of a child. When we – students, women and youth in Delhi – demanded justice for Nirbhaya, we did not care about her caste or religion, nor did we care about the caste or religion of the accused. I would appeal to all women of J&K to similarly unite against this shameful incident and ensure that justice is done,” she said.

She castigated State government for allowing such a communal rally.

“When students in Delhi protested peacefully against the rape incident outside J&K House, they were brutally beaten up by the Delhi Police which is controlled by the BJP government at the Centre. Why was there no action against those involved in the illegal assembly in Kathua? After we made it an issue on social media since yesterday, the CM has now issued a weakly worded tweet, which has come too little and too late,” she said.