![BJP workers protesting manhandling of one of their workers by supporters of Engineer Rashid in Pulwama on Friday. —Excelsior/Younis Khaliq BJP workers protesting manhandling of one of their workers by supporters of Engineer Rashid in Pulwama on Friday. —Excelsior/Younis Khaliq](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/page1-129.jpg)
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Jan 22: Police today registered a case against Independent legislator, Abdul Rashid Sheikh, for thrashing and threatening Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) Pulwama youth president.
Police registered a case (FIR no. 13/2016 under section 341 and 506 Ranbir Penal Code) against Rashid for thrashing and threatening BJP youth leader. He had threatened BJP youth president that he would hand him over to Lashkar-e-Toiba after a scuffle between the two and their workers in Pulwama yesterday.
Earlier, BJP today accused Rashid of having links with Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant outfit and lodged a complaint against him over thrashing a party worker in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Rashid and his supporters thrashed a senior BJP worker yesterday when they objected to anti-Modi slogans being shouted by the Legislator and his supporters during a protest against the killing of a civilian. Rashid, who is the lawmaker from Langate constituency of North Kashmir, allegedly issued a threat to BJP worker and said he would hand over him to Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit.
Fumed over the thrashing of its worker, the BJP today held a protest against Rashid in Pulwama and lodged a complaint with police against him. The protesters were led by Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Sofi Yousuf and were demanding strict action against Rashid.
Talking to reporters, the BJP MLC said Rashid despite taking oath under Indian Constitution is indulging in anti-national activities. “As you know Rashid Engineer has taken oath under Indian Constitution in order to maintain sovereignty of the country. But today he is speaking against India and Prime Minister.
“He is (was) shouting anti-national slogans. And, those patriots who were present here (Pulwama) couldn’t tolerate this and they might have told him to protest but not against Modi ji,” Sofi said.
“See, a public representative has to protest but Rashid’s protest was different. He had painted our Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s picture with blood and they (his supporters) were shouting slogans against him. Our workers who were present said we too are grieved at the civilian death but he was doing different (anti-National) politics,” the BJP leader and MLC said.
The BJP leader accused the Rashid of being linked to Lashkar and getting funds from Pakistan. “It seems he is… as he said I will get BJP workers killed by LeT in 10 days and this shows he has some links”, he said, and urged Central Government to disallow him to go to Pakistan.
“See, India grants him visa for Pakistan and today I appeal Centre that if he goes to Pakistan he will bring Lashkar along with himself for killing our workers. He has issued similar threat. Today we went to SSP and lodged a complaint… I appeal Government that he should not be allowed to visit Pakistan,” Sofi said.
The BJP MLC said that Rashid has ‘zero base’ in Pulwama and he got BJP workers thrashed by his ‘paid goons’. “He has not single worker of his own in Pulwama. He pays money to goons and this money comes through hawala from Pakistan. This should be investigated by police,” he alleged.