While expressing its solidarity with the aggrieved families of the victims of terror attack on Amarnath yatris on the ill- fated night of 10 July, state unit of Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded a thorough investigation of the incident by National Investigation Agency (NIA). NIA is a specialist agency which is well-equipped and highly trained to deal with terror related crimes across the country and now that more and more inputs are coming into public domain it appears that there is much more to this incident than what meets the eye said Brig Anil Gupta, State Spokesperson of the Party in a press statement released today. The local police has reportedly held Lashkar terrorist Abu Ismail responsible for carrying out the heinous crime with the assistance of local HizbulMujahideen cadre. There is adequate suspicion of Pakistan and POJK based international terrorist Syed Salahuddin, Chairman of United Jihad Council (UJC) also being involved in masterminding the terror attack. Brig Gupta said that likelihood of some sleeper cells of LET or Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) operating outside the state can also not be ruled out.
Keeping in view the involvement of not only the terrorists but many other hidden hands in the entire episode it becomes imperative that the investigation is entrusted to a specialised agency and the NIA being tailor made for the purpose is best suited to carry out the thorough investigation, said Brig Gupta. “I, therefore, appeal to the Home Ministry that without loss of any time, NIA should be entrusted the responsibility to start the investigation”, said the spokesperson. He also appreciated the NIA for the way it has gone about conducting the investigations regarding hawala transactions and terror funding in Kashmir Valley exposing many leaders of the Hurriyat, a conglomeration of enemy agents.
Brig Gupta also thanked J&K government and the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board for announcing ex-gratia relief for the victims of the dastardly terror act. “I hope the relief amount will be paid in time to the victims or their next of kin so that they are not put to any hardship”, said Brig Gupta.
