Aug 19: A BJP worker who was arrested by police after he along with his associate brandished his pistol at a patrolling party when they asked him to stop in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district turned out to be a militant sympathizer. The duo on a motorcycle (PB-H-1118) were coming from Khudwani when they were stopped by a joint patrol party of Army’s 1 Rashtriya Rifles and the police,tried to escape and got arrested. Police identified them as BJP Sarpanch Aqib Shafi Badder and his friend Muhammed Amin Hajam, a resident of Anantnag. “A pistol, two magazines and 12 rounds were recovered from the duo,” police said.Police sources said that BJP Sarpanch Aqib Shafi Badder was a former Over Ground Worker, had suffered pellet injuries in the past and several police cases were registered against him on charges of stone-pelting. Meanwhile, BJP Spokesperson Altaf Thakur told CNS that the arrested Sarpanch was not affiliated with BJP.“Sarpanch elections were contested on non-political basis and he didn’t contest on the ticket of BJP. He, however, participated in some of the rallies of BJP but we disown him,” Thakur said.(CNS)
