E-Paper
Jignesh Mevani raises question on BJP's alleged links with arrested terror accused
Taking to Twitter, independent MLA from Gujarat Jignesh Mevani, who supports the Congress, said BJP connections are coming to the fore in terrorist attacks.
Independent MLA from Gujarat Jignesh Mevani on Sunday raised questions over the BJP's alleged links with those accused of terror activities.
The latest one is about the apprehension of two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) members nabbed by villagers in Jammu & Kashmir’s Reasi. According to reports, Talib Hussain Shah, the arrested LeT member is a former BJP minority morcha IT cell in-charge.
Before this, allegations of one of the murderers in last week’s Udaipur horror – Mohammad Riyaz Akhtari – having links with the saffron camp have emerged.
A tailor Kanhaiya Lal was beheaded by two Muslim men in Udaipur on June 28 leading to a national uproar.
Also Read| BJP denies link with Udaipur attacker amid furore
Taking to Twitter, Mevani, who supports the Congress, said BJP connections are coming to the fore in terrorist attacks. Using a popular TV serial’s name to prove his point and photos of the two, Mevani asked “Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai" (what the connections mean).
Congress leader Pawan Khera said on Saturday that Akhtari was present at an event of BJP leaders. "BJP leaders referred to him as ‘Bhai’. What is happening in this country?” Khera said while sharing Akhtari’s photos with Rajasthan BJP leaders Irshad Chainwala, Gulab Chand Kataria and Mohammad Tahir.
The BJP has denied any links with the Udaipur murderer. Party leader Irshad Chainwala, with whom Akhtari was seen in the photograph, said, "The photo of me garlanding Akhtari is when he returned from a pilgrimage… and was introduced by someone else to me.”
On being asked if Akhtari was involved in party work, Chainwala, the president of the BJP’s Udaipur minority cell, said he was not aware, while adding Akhtari was not a party worker.
Meanwhile, in Reasi district, where the two most wanted LeT terrorists were captured by villagers, the Congress has alleged that one of the terrorists was a former in-charge of the BJP's minority morcha IT cell.
Also Read| J&K villagers capture 2 most wanted LeT terrorists, LG announces ₹5 lakh reward
“BJP IT cell in-charge minority morcha & terrorist Talib Hussain's plan to attack the ongoing Amarnath Yatra was crushed by the locals in J&K's tuksan Reasi. They showed extreme courage in apprehending him. Surprisingly! He was recently appointed IT head Minority Morcha by the BJP!” Congress' Salman Nizami wrote on Twitter.
The BJP has denied any links with the apprehended LeT terrorist. President of the party's Jammu and Kashmir unit Ravinder Raina said Hussain was neither an active member nor a primary member of the BJP.
“Talib Hussain Shah is neither an active member nor even the primary of the BJP. He visited BJP headquarters in Jammu many times as a reporter along with his cameraman and took my interviews in the past. He used to be accompanied by a couple of men,” Raina told Hindustan Times.
Raina also added that Shah doesn not have any membership in the official records of the BJP. "Though the entire matter is being investigated but prima facie it seems that he (Talib Hussain Shah) conducted a recce of the BJP office and mine too," the J&K BJP president added.
