BJP Demands Anti-Terror Agency Probe In Lashkar Terrorist's Arrest In Jammu And Kashmir

Alleging that the recently arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist was part of a "new terror plan" to target the party and its leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, BJP on Tuesday demanded a probe into the matter by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The demand was made after a top terrorist named Talib Hussain Shah, who was caught in Reasi in Jammu and Kashmir, was reported to have connections with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Facing flak over the issue, the BJP on Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to its Jammu Minority Morcha president Sheikh Bashir after an order purportedly written by him regarding the appointment of Shah as an official in the unit was shared on social media platforms.

Police has widened its probe into the terrorist's case by investigating into various aspects of security in the region. He was briefly associated with a political party and also posed himself as a mediaperson, J&K Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh said on Monday.

"As it is a serious matter, BJP is urging J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha that probe into all aspects of this case should be conducted by NIA to uncover this new terror plan against BJP and its leaders," J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina said.

"They must uncover as to how many more Talibs are part of this conspiracy and linked with the terror outfit," he said.

He said that probe should be held against the terrorist to know about the larger terror conspiracy, people involved and his links with other such elements.

"We want a full probe against those behind the conspiracy, their links and their targets in the party. We also want to know who were his (Shah's) targets in BJP", he said.

Mr Raina said that Shah has clearly tried to target BJP headquarters in Jammu and its top leaders, adding, "The time is to probe it deeply. All those linked should be arrested." Ruling out any official connection between the political party and LeT terrorist, Mr Raina had earlier said, "Talib Hussian Shah and his other associates were coming to the BJP office to cover press conferences regularly. He was also attending party rallies as a journalist." He said, "It was a new terror plan of the Pakistan-based LeT to set up a module to target the saffron party by planting a terrorist as journalist to carry out recce of its office and track its leaders." Mr Raina said that as per the security agencies, Shah was monitoring and tracking all my movements, which is a matter of "serious concern".

"The images and video clips found on his phone are a matter of grave concern. Shah had conducted recce of BJP headquarters in Jammu. He has also sent pictures and videos of the party and its leaders to LeT commanders in Pakistan," he said.

Claiming to have received death threats from Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Mr Raina said that terrorists are out to incite violence and cause bloodshed in the union territory.

Lauding the para military forces and police in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Raina said, they have foiled the nefarious designs of terrorists and "have worked hard to stamp out terrorism from the union territory".

The BJP chief said that the local people of Gulgarh of Reasi district too, have foiled a big terror plan by capturing two LeT terrorists named Talib Hussain Shah and Faisal Ahmad Dar.

He said that LG and DGP have announced monetary awards to the locals, adding, "It is praise worthy step. The day Talib and Fayaz were captured by locals and handed over to the police, a large quanity of the arms explosive and ammunition was recovered from them." Opposition parties, Congress and J&K Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have also demanded a high level probe into the matter. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)