BJP urges NIA to audit assets of separatist leaders in Valley

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 4

The BJP today urged the National Investigating Agency (NIA) to conduct an audit of the assets of the separatist leaders in the Kashmir valley.

State BJP spokesperson Khalid Jehangir, in a statement, urged the premier agency to audit the ‘illegal assets’ accumulated by the Kashmiri separatist during the past 20 years.

He said the offices of the NIA in J&K were as important as the police stations to fight Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir in a better and professional way. He added that the NIA’s presence in the state would also help to investigate the hawala and money laundering cases.

“Most of the separatists have time and again been charged with hawala and money laundering cases and I hope the NIA’s presence in J&K will help in opening all such cases…. I urge the NIA to investigate the assets created by separatists and anti-national elements in J&K,” he added.

As per reports, the NIA has set up camp offices at four places in the state.

While Jehangir welcomed the setting up of the offices, he said the separatist leaders’ objection to the NIA setting up base in Jammu and Kashmir was ‘actually a result of their frustration that their illegally accumulated assets might be put on audit’.

He said the BJP stood for zero-tolerance to terrorism and that the anti-national elements ‘wouldn’t be allowed to have a field day anymore’.