President in J&K, condemns Kathua rape
Jammu, April 18: President Ram Nath Kovind arrived here on Wednesday and strongly condemned the gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Such an incident happening in our country after 70 years of independence is shameful. We have to decide what kind of a society we are developing into," the President said at the sixth convocation of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University at Katra town.
"It is our duty to ensure that such a thing does not happen in future to any of our daughters or sisters."
The President, who is on a two-day visit to the state, said the success of a society lay in the kind of protection it provides to its children.
He said the greatest achievement of any human being is tolerance and respect for others.
Asking students to draw inspiration from his predecessor A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who inaugurated the university, Kovind asked them to learn from the life and struggles faced by the former President.
"Respect and tolerance of fellow human beings makes one a good human being. If one becomes a doctor or an engineer tomorrow, he will be a better doctor or engineer only if he is a good human being," the President added.
Kovind said Kalam did not just prove to be a great scientist, but he was a great human being who always supported the right to education for children.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, also speaking on the occasion, lamented that something was wrong with a society where men indulge in the rape and murder of a child who is a manifestation of the Mother Goddess.
"How can someone do such a cruel thing to a small girl who is a manifestation of Mata Vaishno Devi, there is something wrong with the society," she said.
Kovind arrived here earlier amid tight security. He was received by Governor N.N. Vohra and Mehbooba.
All eight men accused in the brutal rape and murder of the girl from the nomadic Bakerwal community in January have been arrested. The case will be heard on April 28 in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kathua.
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Congress distances itself from leaders’ remarks on Pahalgam attack, reaffirms CWC stand
New Delhi: Amid mounting criticism from the BJP over divergent statements by senior Congress leaders on the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, the Congress on Monday clarified that such remarks do not represent the party’s official position.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said the party's stance is outlined solely in the resolution passed by the Congress Working Committee (CWC) two days ago. "Some Congress leaders have been speaking to the media. They speak for themselves and do not reflect the party’s views," he said.
The clarification came after a row was triggered by comments from senior party figures including Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Mani Shankar Aiyar, Shashi Tharoor, Tariq Hameed Karra, and former Union minister Saifuddin Soz.
Last week, Siddaramaiah called for the implementation of strict security measures in response to the attack. The CWC, however, had described the Pahalgam incident as a “direct assault” on the values of the Indian republic and demanded a thorough investigation into possible intelligence failures and security lapses.
Reiterating the party’s official line, Ramesh emphasised that the views of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and authorised AICC office-bearers are the only ones that reflect the party’s position.
Meanwhile, Kharge criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for skipping the all-party meeting convened on the Pahalgam attack, accusing the BJP of fostering division in the country.
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