SRINAGAR: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Anantnag unit in Jammu and Kashmir is embroiled in an internal dispute following corruption allegations leveled by suspended party workers against local leadership. The accusations involve demands for substantial sums of money, totaling approximately Rs 8.25 lakh, for securing permissions, jobs, and other opportunities.
According to details received by The Chenab Times, the allegations surfaced after nine office-bearers from the Anantnag unit were suspended. This suspension followed a controversial Tiranga rally held in Anantnag on August 5, where some party workers allegedly chanted derogatory slogans targeting Kashmiri women. The suspended workers claim their expulsion is linked not only to these remarks but also to their prior complaints about alleged corruption within the party.
One of the suspended workers, Afdal Waheed, has specifically accused Arif Hussain Langroo, the Anantnag district general secretary, of soliciting funds. Waheed claims Langroo suggested money could facilitate securing Special Police Officer (SPO) positions, work opportunities related to the MY Bharat initiative, and other avenues.
Waheed further detailed that the alleged Rs 8.25 lakh sum was intended to cover expenses for obtaining permissions and accommodation during the Amarnath Yatra. He also stated that funds were requested for furniture for the BJP office, for which he claims to have provided a personal guarantee.
“I have already submitted a complaint to the SSP Anantnag,” Waheed stated. “I want the administration to conduct a proper inquiry and bring all the concerned people together so that it can be established whether money was taken for permissions and other work and where that money went.”
The BJP leadership has largely rejected these allegations. Rakesh Kaul, the Anantnag BJP district president, questioned the claim regarding permissions, emphasizing that such approvals are the purview of the civil administration. “Allegations keep coming, but first ask who actually gives permission,” Kaul said. “Permissions are issued by the administration. The Deputy Commissioner is the competent authority. A permission does not come from Rakesh Kaul or any BJP office-bearer.”
Kaul expressed confidence that the internal controversy would not significantly harm the party’s standing. “The party will not be damaged by this,” he remarked. “Allegations are made even against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but the party has continued to win elections. The party does not get damaged by the actions of a few persons.”
The corruption allegations have emerged in the context of the earlier controversy surrounding the August 5 rally at Housing Colony, Khanabal. This rally, organized to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, was led by former MLC Sofi Mohammad Yousuf. During the event, some BJP workers reportedly chanted slogans that were perceived as derogatory towards Kashmiri women, using traditional names like “Aazi” and “Fazi.”
Reports indicate that Yousuf was present and did not object to the slogans. Following widespread criticism from political parties, civil society groups, and the public, the Jammu and Kashmir BJP distanced itself from the remarks. BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur stated that the comments did not represent the party’s ideology and that the BJP remained committed to women’s dignity. The Anantnag BJP unit also claimed the rally was neither organized nor authorized by them.
In response to the slogans incident, the BJP suspended nine office-bearers from its primary membership and removed them from organizational positions pending an inquiry. These individuals included Nisar Ahmad Bhat (district general secretary), Khursheed Ahmad Sofi (district secretary), and others from various wings of the party. The party clarified that Alveer Ahmad Dar and Fancy Akhter, whose names had been linked to the rally, were not associated with the Anantnag district unit.
While the suspended members have since apologized for the slogans, they maintain that their suspension was influenced by their prior complaints against local BJP leaders regarding alleged corruption. They assert that certain leaders conspired against them after they raised concerns about financial irregularities within the party.
The current allegations of corruption, however, remain unverified by independent sources. Publicly available evidence has not yet substantiated claims of money being exchanged for jobs or permissions, nor has it been confirmed that the nine members were suspended solely because they raised such internal complaints. The situation has amplified the internal discord within the Anantnag BJP unit, shifting the focus from the slogan controversy to deeper internal governance issues.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
