Solanki offeres to resign from Modi's Govt

Gandhinagar, May 23 (UNI) Minister of State for Cattle Breeding and Fisheries Purshottam Solanki today offered to quit the Narendra Modi's Council of Ministers over police inability to arrest culprits involved in the murder and sexual assault of two girls of Koli community in Junagadh.

He announced his resignation at his community members meet held at his residence this evening here and submitted his resignation to his community members.

Mr Solanki, who belongs to Koli Community, was under pressure from his community, who were angered by the May 13 incident of rape and murder of two teenage girls.

Highly placed BJP sources said the symbolic resignation letter will be deliberated upon by a nine-member Koli panel that will be formed soon. However, the BJP leadership was against his resignation on the issue in the wake of forthcoming Assembly elections.

The rape and murder of two teenage girls, who had gone to Datar shrine in Junagadh with their family members, turned into a major political controversy as the police failed to nab the culprits.

Both girls of the Koli community were allegedly abducted by two men who raped one of them and murdered the other when she challenged them. The culprits are still at large even after 10 days though 400 policemen, including SRP, have tried to locate the two accused.

UNI