Srinagar Apr 21 PTI Two BJP leaders including a district president were arrested on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmirs Bandipora on charges of extorting money from a woman for getting her brother released officials said They have been identified as BJPs district president Bandipora Abdul Rehman Tikri and sarpanch Mushtaq Ahmad the officials said The woman had approached the BJP leaders seeking their intervention for the release of her brother who is serving detention they said The duo had allegedly taken Rs 1 lakh for getting the detenue released the officials said BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur while confirming the development said the law will take its own course Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravindra Raina has relieved Tikri of his post as district president and other party responsibilities with immediate effect PTI MIJ AQS

Baramulla (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], April 15 (ANI): A sarpanch has been killed by terrorists in Baramulla on Friday evening, said Jammu and Kashmir Police.

Jammu Dec 30 PTI Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina on Thursday claimed the party enjoys immense public support as dozens of political leaders and social activists joined the party hereHe said this support will reflect in the assembly pollsLeaders from the Congress and the Dogra Swabhimaan Sangathan along with their supporters from Kathua sarpanches and panches joined the BJP in presence of Raina at the party headquarters hereWelcoming the new entrants into the party fold Raina said prominent social personalities and senior leaders of other parties are joining the BJP every day to serve the masses betterThis clearly indicates the immense public support that the party enjoys and it will reflect in the assembly elections he saidRaina asked the new entrants to strengthen the party and work with the principle of nation first in mind PTI AB DIV DIV

Jammu Sep 26 PTI Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina on Sunday said the murders of a party leader and his brother and father were avenged as he saluted the security forces for neutralizing two militants including the one involved in the triple murder in Bandipora last year BJP leader Sheikh Waseem Bari his brother Umar Sultan and father Bashir Ahmad Sheikh were killed by terrorists outside their shop near Bandipora police station in July last year In a tweet after the encounter in Bandipora in north Kashmir on Sunday Kashmir Zone police said Killer of BJP leader late Waseem Bari his father and brother killed in the encounter Further details shall follow Raina said the remaining terrorists and those conspiring against the nation would meet the same fate as the two militants who were shot dead by the security forces in a gunfight in Watrina area of Bandipora JK police and Army gunned down the terrorists and took revenge for the killing of a BJP youth leader who was shot dead along with his brother and father by them Raina said in a statement We salute the security forces for the success and I am sure that the valley would be cleared of the remaining terrorists and those conspiring against the nation They will also meet the same fate the BJP leader said PTI TAS CK

Jammu Sep 25 PTI Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina on Saturday said the assembly elections in the union territory would likely be held early next year after the completion of the delimitation exerciseHe said the supporters of terrorism are the enemies of the people of the union territory and would be treated in accordance with the law of the land which is equal for everyone -- whether a government employee politician or an ordinary citizenTalking to reporters on the sidelines of a function organised by the BJP at its headquarters to pay homage to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS ideologue and leader of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh Pandit Deendayal Deendayal Upadhyaya here Raina said the delimitation exercise is in progress and was expected to be completed by the year-endOn August 15 Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the ramparts of the Red Fort announced that the delimitation exercise will be followed by the assembly elections in J-K The delimitation is likely to be completed by the year-end and so the elections to the J-K assembly will be held early next year he said when asked about the upcoming polls in the union territoryIn March 2020 the BJP-led government had constituted a delimitation commission to redraw Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir The commission is yet to submit its reportHowever the BJP leader said his party is fully prepared for the elections and would win the elections with 50-plus seats to form the next government in Jammu and KashmirThe BJP-led government at the Centre has benefited the people of Jammu and Kashmir by its schemes and developmental programmes The people are satisfied and will bless the party during the elections The next chief minister will be from our party Raina claimedEarlier he was joined by National General Secretary in-charge J-K Tarun Chugh and other senior leaders to pay tributes to UpadhyayAsked about the criticism of the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party PDP on the sacking of government employees having terror links he said The law is equal for everyone If action is taken against an ordinary person found working as an overground worker of terrorists there is no justification to spare a government employee having links with terrorists Terrorism has destroyed J-K claiming over one lakh lives during the past three decades and left Kashmiri Pandits internally displaced after they were threatened at gunpoint The NC and the PDP should rethink and see whether they want Taliban Pakistan Lashkar-e-Taiba Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen to rule J-KWe will not allow such kind of administration here The supporters of terrorism are enemies of the people and anyone who conspires against the nation will not be spared he saidRaina said Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed largescale development after the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 and completely put an end to the stone-pelting incidents which were a regular feature during encounters between terrorists and security forcesBefore the abrogation of Article 370 there were only 87 legislators but after the August 2019 development the government strengthened the grassroots democracy We have over 50000 panches sarpanches Block Development Council BDC District Development Council DDC urban local bodies members and municipal councillorsThe anti-corruption bureau has intensified its drive against corruption while the stone-pelting during encounters has completely ended he saidNational General Secretary in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir Tarun Chugh said the BJP government not only controlled the militancy-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir but dealt a severe blow to terrorism in the union territoryOur government is doing a good job and has reached every section and region with its pro-people schemes Whether it is Kashmir Jammu hilly Kishtwar Kathua or Poonch-Rajouri belt the developmental activities are visible everywhere he saidAsked about the core group meeting of the BJP scheduled later in the day and its agenda he said Whenever he reaches Jammu the core group meeting is convened to discuss the party affairs However BJP sources said the party has convened the core group meeting to discuss the Chamber of Commerce and Industries-sponsored strike on September 22 against the alleged directionless policies of the Lieutenant Governor-led administrations PTI TAS KJ