FIR Against Kashmir BJP Leader for ‘Assault’

Srinagar: The Srinagar Police lodged an FIR against District Development Council (DDC) member and J&K BJP youth leader Aijaz Hussain Rather for allegedly assaulting two men.

The case was lodged at Panthachowk Police Station after the family of one of the ‘victims’, from the city’s Balhama area, protested at Press Enclave on Tuesday evening.

“On the basis of [a] complaint lodged by Nazim Hussain Bhat and Imdad Ali Mir, FIR no 51/2023 u/s 323, 341 of IPC dated 30.05.2023 registered in Panthachowk PS against DDC member Aijaz Hussain Rather on offences of wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt,” the Srinagar Police tweeted.

On the basis of complaint lodged by Nazim Hussain Bhat & Imdad Ali Mir, FIR no 51/2023 u/s 323,341 of IPC dated 30.05.2023 registered in Panthachowk PS against DDC member Aijaz Hussain Rather on offences of wrongful restraint & voluntarily causing hurt.

— Srinagar Police (@SrinagarPolice) May 31, 2023

During the protest, Bhat’s family alleged that Rather, a Haj Committee of India member and a former Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) national vice-president, “injured him grievously” and he was admitted to the Srinagar SMHS Hospital.

Bhat, a private contractor in military engineering services, recently resigned from the BJP after being associated with it and Rather for around five years.

“I never had any problems with Rather. I was in my car when some of his guards stopped me near the Sempora check post around 8:15 pm last night and assaulted me so severely that I was semi-conscious for hours,” Bhat told Newsclick.

Bhat, who was the BJP’s youth coordinator, said that he was unhappy with Rather’s work and decided to part ways with him more than a month ago.

“I have hosted senior party leaders and ministers in the area, but my resignation did not go well with Rather as he began to realise that he would lose support,” he added.

Mir, who was driving the car when Bhat was attacked, alleged that Rather has been misusing his security guards against people. “I was also attacked. He has been misusing his position,” he alleged.

Condemning the alleged attack, Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu accused Rather of spreading terror in the area. “A reign of TERROR has been unleashed on people of Balhama, Srinagar by the incumbent DDC Member belonging to @BJP4India! This is the second assault on a civilian by him in less than a month! Even women are being assaulted now—under full security cover,” he tweeted.

A reign of TERROR has been unleashed on people of Balhama, Srinagar by the incumbent DDC Member belonging to @BJP4India! This is the second assault on a civilian by him in less than a month!

Even WOMEN are being assaulted now — under FULL security cover @PMOIndia @HMOIndia… pic.twitter.com/UyvWXt8S0W

— Junaid Azim Mattu (@Junaid_Mattu) May 30, 2023

Rather, a prominent BJP face in Kashmir, refuted the allegations claiming that he is being targeted because of his “crusade” against the local land mafia.

“I was home when I saw the video of the protest. The duo has occupied the lands of the government and Kashmiri Pandits. They have deliberately targeted me as I am exposing their fraud,” he alleged.

The DDC member added that he has also lodged a police complaint against the duo. He also claimed that Bhat has been switching parties, including BJP, PDP and the Apni Party and is closer to the latter.