BJP Leaders Go Into Hiding

NEW DELHI: A general secretary of the BJP and the Public Relations Officer of a senior BJP leader have gone into hiding after the Jammu and Kashmir Police booked them on charges of inciting communal tensions in the Rajouri district of J&K.

Superintendent of Police, Rajouri, Haseeb Mughal, told The Citizen that a case was registered on September 14 against Atam Prakash, a BJP district general secretary, and Vikrant Sharma, the Public Relations Officer of the BJP leader, Kuldip Raj Gupta.

Gupta is vice-chairperson of the State Advisory Board for Development of Pahari Speaking People.

The case was filed on a complaint that an inflammatory image of Lord Shiva superimposed on Kaaba, Islam's most sacred site, was being circulated on WhatsApp.

During investigations, it turned out that the photo was uploaded to a WhatsApp group by Prakash whose administrator is Sharma. "Both of them are absconding," Mughal said.

DGP, J&K Police, K Rajendra, said the force has set up a team of officers to nab the absconding duo, "We are here for implementing the rule of law. Both of them will be nabbed soon," he said.

The incident comes close on the heels of communal tensions in Rajouri district where a Muslim man and his wife were assaulted, allegedly by the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists, for possessing a buffalo and a calf.

Rajouri district is observing a complete shutdown today against the assault, demanding the arrest of the right-wing activists.

Tensions have flared up in J&K over an archaic law that criminalises bovine slaughter in the state with the coalition government recently banning internet for three days on Eid fearing a communal flare-up.

The BJP has brought a bill in the assembly, seeking capital punishment for the offenders while the opposition is set to corner the coalition government tomorrow, particularly the PDP, with another bill that calls for scrapping the provisions of law which criminalise sale and consumption of beef.