It appears that the uneasy coalition Government in the trouble-torn State of Jammu & Kashmir headed by chief-minister and party president Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may be called off soon as the BJP Ministers quit the State Cabinet yesterday.

The decision follows the ‘bad name’ which has befallen the ruling BJP at the Centre as its cadres were reportedly involved in the shocking and chilling incident of gang-rape and murder of 8-year old Muslim Gujjar girl Asifa Bano in Kathua District in Kashmir.  The manner in which she was killed – raped for many days by many persons including a juvenile inside a temple – has aroused nation-wide anguish and anger.

Eight accused persons have been arrested in the case and ironically, two BJP Ministers took part in the rally which was held to ‘support’ the accused, thus putting the Mufti-led State Govt. in an embarrassing situation.  A huge hue and cry was made about the Ministers’ participation in such a rally supportive of criminals after which the two Ministers – Chandraprakash Ganga and Lal Singh – quit the Cabinet.

In the meantime, the BJP high-command has sent a missive to all the party MLAs holding Ministerial assignments to quit the Cabinet at once.  It was not immediately known whether this is a prelude to snapping ties with the PDP or to enable the Cabinet reshuffle in a peaceful manner.