New Delhi: Two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and their two personal security officers (PSO) have been arrested for allegedly faking a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
According to news reports, citing police sources, BJP workers Ishfaq Ahmed Mir and Basharat Ahmad staged an attack on themselves to get enhanced security and grab the attention of senior leaders.
On Friday evening, the two claimed they had been fired upon by unknown gunmen, in which Ishfaq was wounded in his arm, NDTV reported.
The news of the attack had spread panic among the party workers in the valley as terrorist attacks on BJP leaders had intensified since New Delhi read down the region’s special constitutional status. As per a DW news report published last month, 17 BJP leaders have been killed in Kashmir since the reading down of Kashmir’s special status.
However, on Friday itself, Kupwara senior superintendent of police (SSP) G.V. Sudeep tweeted, “The weapon of the PSO went off accidentally in the car, which hit the arm of BJP worker Ishfaq Mir. The other PSO fired in fear. People are requested not to spread rumours of [a] militant attack.”
Weapon of PSO went off accidently in the car which hit the arm of BJP Worker Ishfaq Mir. The other PSO fired in fear.Ishfaq got minor arm injury..
People are requested not to spread rumours of militant attack.
The injured is discharged from hospital .@DrGVSundeep_IPS— DISTRICT POLICE KUPWARA. (@KupwaraCops) July 16, 2021
Ishfaq and Basharat, and the two personal security officers, were produced before the court on Monday, and sent to police remand for seven days, the report added.
The BJP has suspended Mohamed Shafi Mir, Ishfaq’s father and the party’s Kupwara district president. The party has also opened an inquiry into the incident.