The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are engaged in a heated exchange, accusing each other of harboring individuals with links to terrorism. The conflict escalated after the BJP criticized AAP MLA Mehraj Malik, who was detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA), for allegedly supporting a terrorist.
AAP retaliated by releasing a list of BJP members in Jammu and Kashmir who they claim are "retired terrorists". AAP leader Sanjay Singh asserted that the BJP's nationalism is a facade, alleging that the party has appointed individuals "trained in Pakistan" to key positions in the region. Singh claimed that the BJP is an "army of retired terrorists" and that its claims of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir are false. He further stated that he was placed under house arrest in Srinagar to prevent him from releasing the list. According to Singh, individuals like Abdul Rehman Lone, Fayaz Ahmad Najar, and Abdul Rehman Tikri, who had past associations with terrorist organizations, were given prominent roles within the BJP. He also mentioned instances of individuals trained in Pakistan being appointed as district presidents or members of the party's working committee.
The BJP has responded to these allegations by accusing AAP of supporting anti-national elements. BJP spokesperson Abhijeet Jasrotia dismissed Sanjay Singh's claims about Fayaz Ahmad Najar, stating that it was another individual with a similar name who had terrorist links. Jasrotia also accused AAP of attempting to create communal divisions and highlighted instances of AAP leaders with criminal charges or alleged connections to separatist movements. The BJP also pointed to an AAP candidate in a past J&K election who was jailed under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (TADA) act. The BJP accused AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha of meeting with a pro-Khalistan British MP, Preet Gill, in the UK and claimed that AAP is in contact with separatist forces.
The BJP further stated that Sheikh Fida Hussain, an AAP candidate from Devsar, was previously held in TADA court custody for a year. They also accused Mehraj Malik of glorifying terrorist groups and insulting government officials.
This exchange of accusations comes amid a broader context of concerns about the backgrounds of political leaders in India. A recent report indicated that a significant percentage of Members of Parliament (MPs) and Ministers in India face criminal charges, including serious offenses. According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), many MPs have declared criminal cases against themselves, some involving charges of murder, attempted murder, and crimes against women. The report also noted that the BJP has a large number of MPs with criminal cases against them.
