Congress' Nomination Of Lal Singh From Udhampur Invites Backlash For His Kathua Rape Controversy (Photo on X Choudhary Lal Singh @ChLalSinghDSS)As Congress released the fourth list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, The party picked Choudhary Lal Singh, who recently re-joined the party, as its candidate from Udhampur constituency. Mr Lal Singh is a two-time MP and former Minister of Forest and Ecology in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir.
In 2014, Mr Lal Singh switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reportedly after being denied a ticket from the Congress party. He was later forced to resign as minister following his controversial participation in a rally supporting the rape and murder of an eight-year-old Muslim girl in Kathua in January 2018. Mr Lal Singh then left the saffron camp and launched his party called Dogra Swabhimaan Sangathan Party (DSSP).
Notably, the former BJP leader who re-joined the Congress party that led a candle march against the Kathua rape incident has now been given a ticket by the same party after six years. The then BJP MP and minister in the Mehbooba-Mufti government had allegedly taken part in a rally organized by Hindu Edta Manch, drawing sharp criticism and leading to his resignation in 2019.
However, parties such as the National Conference and PDP, members of the INDIA bloc, have called it an ‘internal matter’ of the Congress party. The Congress spokesperson Sheikh Aamir played down the controversy, and said he accepts that supporting it (Kathua accused) was a mistake, adding that Mr Lal Singh has since slammed the BJP policies. The Congress spokesperson welcomed him terming it a ‘returning home.’ Mr Lal Singh’s name has also grabbed headlines in a money laundering case.
However, with his ticket confirmed, Mr Lal Singh will face the sitting BJP MP and union minister Dr. Jitendra Singh in the upcoming general elections. Ghulam Nabi Azad’s Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) candidate and former Minister, Ghulam Mohd Saroori, who is also contesting from the seat has criticised the Congress party against the candidature of Mr Lal Singh.