The website of the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit was today hacked for a brief period with the hackers posting a message demanding justice for an eight-year-old girl who was raped and murdered at Kathua in January.

The website was restored after some time.

The hackers, who called themselves “Team Kerala Cyber Warriors”, posted a message accusing the state unit of protecting a “gang of pedophiles” who had aligned with some of the ruling BJP’s office-bearers.

The hackers, who used the colours of the Indian flag in the message, said there should be nothing beyond humanity and “discrimination cannot be tolerated”.

They demanded that rapists be hanged.

BJP’s J&K unit General Secretary Ashok Kaul told PTI that the website was hacked for a brief period and had been “restored now”.

“Yes, we will file a complaint with the police. One should see the message. It seems that someone from north Kerala is responsible for the hacking. After all, the situation in Kerala is not hidden from anyone,” he said.

Kaul said it was yet another attempt to create tension in Jammu, which has been the symbol of nationalism.

The BJP had distanced itself from the Hindu Ekta Manch, which had organised a rally in favour of the eight accused arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir’s Crime Branch in connection with the Kathua rape case.

The party asked two of its ministers Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga to resign from the state cabinet as the two had participated in the rally and dared the Crime Branch to make any further arrests in the case.

The BJP had also removed its state unit secretary who was found having links with the Hindu Ekta Manch.

Works Minister and senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Naeem Akhtar on Thursday said that there was no reason for the students in Kashmir to hold protests over Kathua rape-and-murder case when the accused were already behind bars.
“What is the occasion for protests, stonepelting [over Kathua case] when case is solved, accused in jail and trial on? Shouldn’t they be attending classes instead,” Akhtar wrote in reply to a tweet of a journalist.

What is the occasion for protests, stonepelting when case is solved, accused in jail and trial on? Shouldn’t they be attending classes instead. https://t.co/7b2L3Yv9Hx

— Naeem Akhtar (@shangpal) April 19, 2018

The student protests are refusing to die down despite the government suspending the class work in the colleges and higher secondary schools.
Over a dozen students were injured today in Shopian after they staged protests over Kathua case and clashed with the forces.

Yesterday also, around twenty students had suffered injuries in police action in Anantnag district.

JAMMU: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has praised the people of Jammu for upholding harmony and amity despite provocations and for standing up to demand justice for the eight-year-old girl brutally raped and killed in Kathua district.

Speaking at a civic reception hosted for President Ram Nath Kovind last night, Mufti said the people of Jammu have always stood up for tolerant values and brotherhood for the past 30 years, and defeated the “nefarious” designs of miscreants.

President Kovind is on his maiden two-day visit to Jammu.

Yesterday, he addressed the 6th convocation of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, when he condemned the rape and killing of the girl in Kathua as “heinous” and “shameful”.

The case has triggered nationwide outrage because of its brutality.

People have protested on streets across India, including in Jammu, demanding justice for the girl from a nomadic community.

The girl had disappeared from a place near her house in Kathua on January 10.

A week later, her body was found in the woods in the same area.

She was allegedly held captive in a village temple for a week, during which she was sedated and sexually assaulted before being bludgeoned to death.

Referring to the disturbing case, Mufti said she was humbled to see every section of society, including students, women and children, standing up to demand justice for the girl.

“They stood up for justice, irrespective of religious affiliations, for the girl whom they said was their own daughter. I salute them for this and for defeating the nefarious designs of vested elements,” the chief minister said.

“Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the incident shameful and sought punishment to the guilty,” she said.

She said her government is duty-bound to provide justice.

Mufti also praised the people of Jammu for accepting and sharing their resources and other facilities with the people leaving Kashmir, referring to the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley during the peak of militancy.

“It’s a rare example of amity which hardly finds any parallels in contemporary world,” she added.

Mufti thanked President Kovind for visiting the state.

Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh expressed gratitude to the president for accepting the state’s invitation.

He said people will benefit and learn from interacting with him.