Congress slams PM, Amit Shah over allegedly having 'terrorist' as BJP member

Congress on Tuesday sought to put Home Minister Amit Shah on the line of fire alleging that terrorist Talib Hussain Shah, who was arrested recently, was made a BJP office bearer in Jammu and previously captured in photos with the senior leader.

Addressing a press conference here, Congress Media and Publicity wing Chairperson Pawan Khera asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah to come clean on the allegation that BJP making "terrorists" its members and office bearers.

Seeking to put the BJP on the dock, Khera said he could recall at least five persons who have terror links being inducted in the party or made office bearers or seen close to its leaders.

"Will the Prime Minister open his mouth? Will the Home Minister come out and give a clarification? What were these terrorists doing in your party? What were you doing with those terrorists?" he asked.

Khera alleged that Talib Hussain Shah was appointed in the IT cell of BJP in Jammu area and there is an appointment letter to this effect.

Also read: Congress files FIR against BJP legislators for spreading fake video featuring Rahul Gandhi

"It has emerged that the arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist was not only a BJP office-bearer who had previously been captured in photos with Home Minister Amit Shah and was planning to launch attacks on the Amarnath Yatra. How could such a man be seen in close proximity of the Home Minister. How the Home Minister will be secure if a terrorist is near him? Isn't it a big intelligence failure if that man was not identified as terrorist earlier?" Khera said.

Talib Hussain Shah's case was not the first instance and only days ago, it came to light that one of the Udaipur killers Riyas Attari was a BJP member, he said.

He also said that former sarpanch and BJP leader Tariq Ahmad Mir was arrested two years ago for procuring weapons for Hizbul Mujahideen commander Naveed Babu, who was arrested with former DySP Davinder Singh, while BJP IT Cell member Dhruv Saxena along with 10 associates were arrested for allegedly spying for the ISI.

A Bajrang Dal leader from Madhya Pradesh Balram Singh was arrested in terror funding case, while an Assam leader Niranjan Hojai was sentenced to life for diverting government funds to a militant group to procure weapons and carry out attacks on security forces, he said. He also added that the BJP gave ticket to Masood Azhar’s acolyte Mohammad Farooq Khan to contest the Srinagar municipal election.

"It is shocking that the BJP, a party that loses no opportunity to preach to Indians about nationalism, has members and office-bearers who are deeply implicated in violent anti-national activities. These are not simple coincidences," he said.

"We appeal to the people of India to see through the BJP’s fake nationalism and its disturbing willingness to flirt with anti-national forces. What kind of an ideology finds place for both Nupur Sharma and Riyaz Attari and accommodates radicals like Talib Hussain? Is the BJP inspired by the alliance between the Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim League in which extremists of all religions banded together to prevent nationalist forces like the Congress to come to power?" he added.