BJP claims LeT, other groups weakened after NIA raids

New Delhi, Sept 27: In clear hints that the BJP is all set to play up its perceived "strong anti-terror" policies, the saffron party will highlight government's "success tale" in taking on militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in the run up to the crucial Assembly elections in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and few northeastern states. "The hard stance adopted by the Modi government has started yielding results...In Jammu and Kashmir, the surgical strikes and the actions on funding channel have weakened terror outfits," a key party leader told UNI here. Sources said at the BJP’s National Executive meeting in Delhi on Monday, party General Secretary Ram Madhav told a closed door meeting attended among others by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh that the situation has "improved" to a large extent compared to the ground realities since the 2016 "uprising." Mr Madhav, who is also BJP central leader's pointman for J&K affairs, told the meeting that firm actions against "funding channel" has weakened the terror outfits and the NIA raids and questioning of some top leaders have pushed groups like Lashkar-e-Toiba to the wall. The general refrain among the BJP leaders from the state has been that "tough actions" have started showing results. According to sources, the BJP poll strategists in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh propose to highlight these as "achievements" of the BJP-led NDA dispensation. A section of leaders from Gujarat have suggested all names of key terror group leaders those who have been eliminated during last few months must be highlighted and taken to the people. "There will be twin benefits. One nationalistic feelings will always help the BJP and secondly this could also result in polaristaion among hardliner Hindu voters as has been experienced in past assembly elections in 2002 and 2007," the source said. Mr Madhav reportedly told party leaders that stone-pelting incidents have come down drastically compared to 2016 and therefore there is a need to the minimise the use of pellet guns in Kashmir Valley by security forces. The Home Minister said his ministry is already exploring other methodologies to fight terror menace in the northern state. At the BJP National Executive meet, Mr Madhav and other leaders from the state insisted that there can be talks with separatist groups and others only under the ambit of the Indian Constitution. According to sources, one senior representative of the government said there is no second opinion about that as "we all are servants of the Constitution". Mr Ram Madhav on Tuesday lauded elimination of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Abdul Qayoom Najar who was killed in gunbattle with security forces in Uri sector. "Longest surviving terrorist of Kashmir Qayoom Najar killed today at LoC Lassipora Uri," he wrote in a tweet. It is also worth mentioning that Mr Modi told the closed door meeting of BJP leaders on Monday that as many as 90 fugitives and terrorists would soon be brought back to India. UNI