The Congress held a street demonstration in Jammu on Monday and demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant ‘commander’ Talib Hussain’s ‘links with the BJP’
Carrying placards with the pictures of Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina and ‘commander’ Hussain, scores of Congress leaders demanded a probe and a statement from the BJP leadership.
“The NIA should investigate the role of BJP leaders and their links with Hussain. His presence in the BJP not only posed a threat to the Amarnath Yatra but also to civilians. The BJP compromised with the nation’s security,” Congress spokesman Ravinder Sharma said.
Leading the protest rally, senior Jammu and Kashmir Congress leader Raman Bhalla said a thorough investigation should focus on what Hussain had access to and what he recced using his presence in the BJP.
“The BJP needs to answer why it is recruiting terrorists in its ranks. Why is the BJP silent? Why is the Union Home Minister Amit Shah silent and not issuing a statement? Mr. Shah too has a picture with Hussain,” Mr. Bhalla alleged.
LeT’s Hussain and his aide, believed to be behind a number of attacks in the Pir Panjal valley this year, were apprehended with the help of locals in Reasi’s Tukson when they were hiding at a local villager’s house on Sunday.
A viral picture suggested that Hussain from Draj Kotranka, Budhan, Rajouri, was appointed as IT and social media in-charge by the BJP’s Minority Morcha, Jammu Province, in May this year. He also allegedly worked as a media coordinator for the BJP in Rajouri district.
‘Pak. conspiracy’
However, Mr. Raina described Hussain’s presence in the party as “a part of conspiracy hatched from Pakistan to target him and the party headquarters.” However, Mr. Raina admitted that Hussain introduced himself as a journalist and accessed his office for interviews several times.
“We came to know from the security agencies that Talib was a mole planted by Pakistan-based terrorists to target BJP headquarters and the leadership, including me. I also came to know that he had shared the pictures of the BJP headquarters with his handlers across the border and would keep a close watch on my movement in Poonch and Rajouri,” Mr. Raina said.
