The announcement by a Jammu leader who had defended the rapists and murderers of an eight-yearold girl in Kathua in 2018 that he would participate in the Bharat Jodo Yatra has stirred a controversy, with a Congress spokesperson resigning in protest and Omar Abdullah asking the party not to allow people to whitewash their sins.

The Yatra is scheduled to enter Jammu and Kashmir on January 19 evening.

Chowdhary Lal Singh, the leader of the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan who had defended those who had raped and murdered the girl from the minority Bakerwal community in Jammu’s Kathua, recently said he would participate in the Yatra.

The All-India Congress Committee in-charge for Jammu and Kashmir, Rajini Patil, told a media conference on Tuesday that Singh had declared his intent to join the Yatra but the party was not in touch with him. But Congress spokesperson Deepika Pushkar Nath announced her resignation over his likely participation.

National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar supported her but encountered criticism for alleged double speak as Singh had participated in a meeting with Gupkar alliance leaders recently.

Omar’s NC is part of the alliance and his father Farooq Abdullah had helmed the meeting. Deepika, a lawyer who had defended the Kathua girl’s family in courts, claimed the Congress had given Singh the go-ahead to take part in the Yatra.

“In view of Choudhary Lal Singh’s proposal of joining Bharat Jodo and Congress allowing the same, I am left with no other option but to resign from Congress. Lal Singh was responsible in sabotaging the Kathua rape case in 2018 by brazenly defending rapists,” she tweeted.

“Lal Singh divided the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir to protect the rapists and Bharat Jodo Yatra is ideologically opposite. On ideological grounds, I cannot share the party platform with such a person,” Deepika added.

Former chief minister Omar said the Congress should look into the matter and ensure that some people do not use the Yatra to absolve themselves.

“We should not forget the role of those leaders who at that time defended the rapists and tried to prove the victim guilty,” he said.

“If the same leaders use the Yatra to prove they are secular, I think this is wrong. You will be flirting with the Yatra.” Omar, however, faced a backlash as Singh had participated in the meeting headed by Farooq in September to oppose voting rights to outsiders.

Journalist Mufti Islah posted a picture of a media conference with Singh in company of Gupkar alliance leaders Farooq and Mehbooba Mufti.

“Selective dementia. Saint if I do it, sinner if you do it. Here is a picture if someone has forgotten,” Islah tweeted.