Two BJP workers, their PSOs held for faking militant attack in Kupwara

Jammu & Kashmir police arrested two BJP workers and their personal security assistant allegedly for faking a militant attack in Kupwara district last week. The police report said that the BJP workers had faked the attack to get enhanced security.

The official report said that Ishfaq Ahmad Mir who was the party’s IT cell in-charge of Kupwara had faked the attack in connivance with the party’s district spokesperson Basharat Ahmad and the PSOs. BJP has informed the media that the party has s suspended Ishfaq’s father Mohammad Shafi Mir, who is the party district president for Kupwara, till the probe into the matter is over.

A senior police officer quoted by a leading daily that,  “We are coming up with full details of the incident in a day or two.” On July 16, there were reports of a militant attack on Ishfaq while he was distributing relief in Gulgam village of Kupwara. He had claimed that he was wounded in the attack as one of the bullets hit his arm.

The BJP suspended its Kupwara district president Mohammad Shafi Mir as the matter came to light. BJP media in charge Manzoor Ahmad Bhat told The Indian Express, “We have suspended him till the inquiry is completed. The inquiry would be completed by July 25. The reason for suspension is the suspicion that his son faked the attack. The police are investigating.”

Bhat said Ishfaq and Basharat also breached the security protocol. “Usually, as per the security protocol, our leaders and workers are not allowed to move after 5 pm,” he said. “They said they had gone to distribute ration. But there was no need to go that late in the evening.”