Shimla schoolgirl rape and murder: Virbhadra Singh accuses BJP of trying to politicise incident

Dharamshala: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh Monday accused the state BJP of trying to politicise the alleged rape and murder of a schoolgirl. [caption id=“attachment_3872267” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh. PTI[/caption] The BJP believes in “violence” and is “adopting cheap tactics” before the state assembly elections, he told reporters here. “The opposition is trying to disturb law and order in state capital Shimla and playing cheap politics over the death of an innocent girl,” Singh said. The CBI is investigating the case, he said. The chief minister cancelled his visit to the interiors of Chamba district following unrest in the area over the alleged rape of a student by a teacher. The incident had taken place four days ago, and the accused has been arrested. However, the locals are demanding action against other school staffers. Earlier, a mob had damaged shops and set on fire a rain shelter in Tissa, some 180 kilometres from Dharamshala. On his way back to Shimla, the chief minister inaugurated a three-storey circuit house here to accommodate MLAs during assembly sessions in the state’s second capital. He also announced Rs 2 lakh for next of kin of Rakesh Pathania, a journalist, who passed away on 9 July.