Srinagar: Demanding a probe into the activities of NGOs in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP on Wednesday alleged that many of them were unregistered, receiving funds from abroad and were involved in reviving terrorism in the Union Territory.
Addressing a press conference here, BJP’s J&K spokesperson Altaf Thakur said his party was not against all NGOs, “however, it is a matter of concern that there are 16,000 of them in J&K, but only 239 are registered”.
“We have credible inputs and evidence that they received foreign funds and such funds are used in terror activities. There is a need to go deeper and investigate their funding and how they spent those funds,” he said.
Thakur noted that the government has already acted on several NGOs “which had terror links”.
“Many were banned and investigating agencies carried out raids on many. But, this is a sensitive issue and we want to bring it to the notice of the Government of India and J&K LG,” he said.
The BJP leader said there is a need to check foreign funding and also make those accountable who collect funds locally in the names of orphans, etc.
“Most of these are involved in terror activities and receive funding from countries like Germany, Japan, the US… We have evidence that these NGOs are working to revive and spread terrorism in J&K through their funding from the Gulf and other foreign countries like Pakistan,” he claimed.
Thakur appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to act tough against these “terror-supporting networks”.
“We appeal to the Government of India to scan these NGOs and check their mushrooming growth since the 1990s. How is a huge number of NGOs being allowed to run and collect funding from foreign countries? Why were they not scanned till yet?” he said.
He urged the government to cancel the registration of organisations found to be involved in anti-national activities.
“If they don’t have any licence or registration, then how are they running? They should be closed. If you have to end and bury terror in J&K, then you should bury these terror-supporting networks,” Thakur added.
The BJP spokesperson also faulted the J&K Police, saying there has been “some lapse on the part of the police which have allowed them (NGOs) to run and collect funding whether locally or from foreign”.
Asked about the controversy surrounding Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar — after a video showing him pulling the veil of a woman off her face went viral — Thakur played down the incident, saying one should not read much into it.
“He (Kumar) has been CM of Bihar six times. He is called Vikas Pursh, who ended the jungle raj there. Now, if a daughter comes to take a certificate, he slightly removes her veil to see the daughter who is taking the certificate. What objection should there be in it?” he said.
