Jammu and Kashmir's main opposition National Conference today condemned BJP MLA Rajiv Jasrotia's appointment as a minister, saying his elevation to the post despite his presence at a rally held in support of those accused in the Kathua case showed the ruling alliance's "opportunism".

The much-awaited cabinet reshuffle in the Mehbooba Mufti government in Jammu and Kashmir took place today with seven new faces sworn in, including Jasrotia.

The major shake-up of the council of ministers -- six from the BJP and two from the PDP -- comes after BJP ministers Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga resigned from the cabinet earlier this month after they were criticised for taking part in a rally in support of those accused in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua.

Jasrotia, who included in the council of ministers, was part of the rally for which Singh and Ganga had to resign.

Terming Jasrotia's inclusion in the council of ministers as "shameful and tragic", National Conference (NC) spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu said the "shocking development" had again "exposed the inherent sadism and opportunism" of the PDP-BJP alliance, as also the "hypocrisy and complete surrender" on part of the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

The NC spokesperson also condemned as "unacceptable and insensitive" remarks of Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta who termed the Kathua case as a "small incident".

Hitting out at the PDP-BJP government, Mattu said the heinous and heart-rending tragedy in Kathua was anything but a small issue and was a "barbaric manifestation of a of divisiveness and communalism" being practiced by the powers that be.

"If Gupta thinks the Kathua issue was a small issue', then why were two BJP Cabinet Ministers forced to resign after national outrage over their patronage to the divisive Hindu Ekta Manch? Had this been a small issue', Gupta wouldn't have been inducted today to fill the vacancies caused by those forced resignations.

"His remarks are utterly insensitive, outrageous and unacceptable and reveal the deep malice that forms the basis of BJP's in the state", Mattu said.

Barely hours after he took oath as the Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister, Gupta stoked a controversy by terming the gruesome rape and murder in Kathua as a "small incident" which should not get so much attention.

In a statement, the spokesperson also questioned the "sleeping conscience" of the chief minister and her party.

"For PDP to term these utterly cringe worthy remarks as careless' is another tragedy in itself and shows how low the party has stooped to remain in power despite the dignity of the state and its peoples being ridiculed with each passing day," Mattu said.

"....Today it has become clear beyond any doubt, yet again, that Mehbooba Mufti has lost the moral right to govern and pretend to be anguished over what happened in Kathua. She along with her colleagues, alliance partners and ministers have and continue to add salt to the gaping wounds of the child's family," the NC spokesperson alleged.

He said the PDP should stop playing both sides and realise that their "fixed-matches" with the BJP "don't amuse" the people anymore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)