Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Vice President of Municipal Committee Watergam in north Kashmir district of Baramulla Meraj-ud-din Malla, who was abducted by unidentified persons on Wednesday morning, has returned home.
However, it was not immediately clear whether he was rescued by police or released by his kidnappers.
Confirming that Malla has returned home, BJP spokesperson for Kashmir Manzoor Ahmad Bhat said that the Vice President of Municipal Committee Watergam has been thrashed by his kidnappers. “I was in constant contact with the family of Malla since this morning. I just spoke to his brother who confirmed that Malla has returned home,” Bhat told UNI.
However, he said it was not clear if he was rescued by police or his kidnappers released him. “Malla has been thrashed severally,” he added.
The BJP spokesperson said that Malla has been taken to police station for questioning.
Malla, who had won municipal elections on a BJP ticket, was abducted in a santro by unidentified persons from a road in Marazigund area when he was on way to meet a friend. “The mobile phone of Malla was found on the roadside where the incident took place,” official sources said earlier today.
They said as soon as the news of the abduction reached security forces, a massive search operation was launched to rescue Malla and nab the accused.
The incident comes a week after BJP leader Waseem Bari, his father Bashir Ahmad and brother Umer Bashir were killed by militants in north Kashmir district of Bandipora. Following the incident, 10 SPOs were dismissed and arrested by police for ‘negligence’.
Meanwhile, the Kashmir unit of BJP has appealed to ‘Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene and provide security to grassroots level leaders of the party, who are being targeted by militants’. “This is not the first incident… militants have changed their strategy and are now targeting BJP workers and leaders as our party is the only one right now working at the grassroot post August 5,” Bhat told UNI earlier today.
The BJP spokesperson alleged that top police officers in the valley are not serious about the security of political leaders as they didn’t review the security of politicians who are receiving threats from militants. “Killing of Bari and his family members was a major laps in security as the incident was done outside a police station. If police was serious about the security of politicians they would have given adequate security to us,” he said.
He said despite Malla being Vice President of Municipal Committee Watergam so security was given to him. “Police knows there are some sensitive areas where security should be given to political workers and leaders,” he said.
He said if security would have been given to Malla his abduction could have been stopped. “BJP is on the target of militants and the soon security forces accept it, the better it will be for us,” he added.
Bhat said he has appealed to Mr Shah to intervene and provide security to grassroots level leaders of the party as security forces are giving them a cold shoulder.