The Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) commander Talib Shah, nabbed by the brave villagers of Mahore area in Reasi district on Sunday, was working with the Jammu and Kashmir Unit of the Bharatiya Janta Party since June 2018.
According to a press note issued by the office of the Bharatiya Janta Party through its press secretary Talib Shah was nominated as constituency Incharge of Darhal along with 36 others.
The press note issued on June 1, 2018 clearly stated, "BJP State Incharge IT and Social Media Department Jaidev Rajwal in consultation with BJP State President and MLA, Ravinder Raina and BJP State General Secretary (Org.) Ashok Kaul today announced Assembly Constituency Incharges of IT and Social Media Department".
Jaidev Rajwal nominated thirty seven assembly constituency Incharges of Jammu Province. According to the press note, Talib Shah was nominated as constituency Incharge of Darhal.
Later in April 2020, BJP Minority Morcha President Sheikh Bashir in consultation with party’s J&K President Ravinder Raina, party J&K General Secretary (Org.) Ashok Kaul and other senior leaders of the party announced new Office Bearers, Working Committee Members and District Presidents for BJP Minority Morcha.
According to the press note circulated to the media on April 23, 2020, "Talib Shah was nominated as Morcha Publicity Secretary, whereas Mushtaq Ahmed Sheikh (Kupwara) and Fayaz Ahmed Naik (Banihal) were nominated as Morcha Additional Publicity Secretaries".
Responding to the gesture, Talib Shah posted a tweet on April 25, 2020 thanking the party leadership. " I am highly thankful to Bharatiya Janata party Jammu Kashmir state president Ravinder Raina ji and State or General secretary Ashok Koul ji, BJP minority morcha president Sheikh Mohamed".
Recently, on May 9, 2022 , BJP's Minority Morcha President, Sheikh Bashir, had appointed him incharge of the IT and Social media department, Minority Morcha. According to Sheikh Bashir, Shah, later resigned from the post on May 27, 2022.
This correspondent also contacted State Press Secretary, BJP Dr Pardeep Mahotra and also forwarded an email to him to verify whether Talib Shah mentioned in their press notes is the same person arrested by the police or not. Till late evening Dr Mahotra, who was attending a training session in the tourist resort of Patnitop, had not responded despite repeated requests. On the other hand former BJP State Incharge IT and Social Media Department Jaidev Rajwal when contacted clarified party Chief Ravinder Raina had addressed a press conference on this topic where he had issued a detailed clarification.
After his links surfaced with the BJP, the Jammu and Kashmir Unit Chief Ravinder Raina immediately rushed to demand National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into Talib Shah's terror links.
While addressing media persons in the party headquarters on Tuesday Raina had also claimed that Talib Shah visited the BJP office pretending to be a journalist. Stating that top J&K BJP leaders and office-bearers were on Talib Hussain’s hit-list, Raina had also sought a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in this matter.
“Talib Hussain did recce of my office. He sent videos of my office to his Pakistani handlers. He used to meet BJP leaders by posing as a journalist. We demand a NIA probe,” he said.
Raina also said the party has issued a show cause notice to Minority Morcha President Sheikh Bashir and asked him to reply within 48 hours. “He doesn't have the authority to make any appointment. Every appointment in the party is made by the President,” the BJP leader said.
When Contacted Sheikh Bashir told The Pioneer, "I will first respond to the show cause notice then only I will speak to the media about this issue".
Significantly, images accessed by this correspondent clearly revealed Talib Shah not only attended party programs along with senior party leaders in the party headquarters but was also working in the remote areas of Rajouri and propagating schemes of the Union government headed by Narendra Modi in the company of party workers.
His images with Member Parliament from Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat Jugal Kishore Sharma and others have gone viral. In these images he is seen garlanding BJP MP, attending public meetings and party programs being addressed by the former incharge of Jammu and Kashmir unit Avinash Rai Khanna, J&K BJP organisation secretary Ashok Koul, Ravinder Raina and other party leaders and workers.In some of the images Talib Shah is also seen attending training programs in the party office along with other office bearers raising doubts over the claims made by the BJP leaders while washing their hands over their association with him.