Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief, and former Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has said that after  a year of horrific rape and murder of nine year olf Kathua girl, BJP lawmakers staged protests in favour of the rapists.

“Even a crime like rape was communalised & passions were stoked to justify it,” she tweeted.

“As a CM I tried my best to ensure justice was done. Can only hope that the accused are punished severely so that no other girl has to endure such pain and trauma”.

As a CM I tried my best to ensure justice was done. Can only hope that the accused are punished severely so that no other girl has to endure such pain and trauma.

— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) January 17, 2019

The Kathua rape case refers to the abduction, rape, and murder of an 8-year-old girl, Asifa Bano, in Rasana village near Kathua in Jammu in 2018.

A chargesheet for the case has been filed, the accused have been arrested and the trial began in Kathua on 16 April 2018.