NEW DELHI: On a day BJP chief Amit Shah completed five years at the helm, the saffron outfit inducted 30 youth in the party fold from different walks of life, including sportspersons and victims of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Rashbehari Bera, whose father was allegedly killed in political violence in West Bengal’s Jhargram, was among the youth who joined the BJP at the party headquarters.
Zahoomar Ahmed and Umer Ahmed, the sons of BJP’s district vice president Gul Mohammed Mir who was killed by terrorists, and Javed Ahmed, elder brother of Shabir Ahmed Bhat who was killed by terrorists in Kashmir, also joined the BJP.
Rayees Ahmed Bhat, who is from a family of terror victims, and Shabir Bhat, who the BJP said is an active youth leader in Pulawama, were the others from the Valley to join the saffron party. The BJP also inducted Saran and Sharon from Kannur, Kerala, who family members were allegedly victims of political violence in the state. Another person from Kerala who joined the party was actor Nithin Jake Joseph.
At the centre of attraction in the grand induction ceremony was Disha Dhiraj Manu from Maharashtra, who suffers from Down’s Syndrome and has won medals in Special Olympics. A few more sportspersons also joined the BJP.
Surge in Valley membership
After emerging as a strong force in Jammu and Ladakh, the BJP has made inroads in Kashmir by registering 3.37 lakh members, including 1.30 lakh in the militancy hub of south Kashmir, 1.17 in central Kashmir and 90,000 in north Kashmir, said a BJP leader. State BJP general secretary Ashok Koul said, “We have target of 5 lakh members in Valley.”