Mehbooba Mufti’s key aide, Waheed ur Rahman Parra, was arrested by the counter-terror National Investigation Agency on Wednesday in a militancy-related case, after which the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister released a 2018 video where defence minister Rajnath Singh is seen heaping praise on him.
Parra, who had unbridled access to the Union home ministry, to which the NIA directly reports, during the previous PDP-BJP rule in Jammu and Kashmir, was picked up in connection with the arrest of deputy superintendent of police Davinder Singh along with Hizbul Mujahideen commander Naveed Babu. Parra is the first politician to be arrested in the case.
Parra heads the youth wing of the PDP and was being interrogated at the agency’s New Delhi headquarters for the past two days.
The arrest has come at a time Valley politicians who have formed the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration to fight for the restoration of Article 370 have been accusing the Centre of unleashing the NIA to force them into submission and prevent them from canvassing for the upcoming District Development Council polls. Parra is to contest the election.
PTI quoted an NIA spokesperson as saying: “Today, the NIA arrested Waheed Ur Rehman Parra, the youth wing leader of the People’s Democratic Party, in connection with the Naveed Babu-Davinder Singh case for supporting Hizbul Mujahideen in a conspiracy with the other accused persons.”
Mehbooba hit back and described the arrest as “blackmail” and “intimidation” by the Narendra Modi government.
The PDP chief tweeted a video where Rajnath is seen praising Parra during an event in Srinagar in 2018 when he was the home minister.
Parra, as secretary of the erstwhile state’s sports council, had organised a huge audience of sports enthusiasts for a Rajnath event in Srinagar, a rare feat for any politician amid relentless stone-throwing those days.
“For that (channelising the energy of the state’s youth in a positive direction), I want to specially congratulate the secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Sports council, Waheed Parra. He has organised a wonderful programme here,” Rajnath, awed by the participation, said in the video.
Mehbooba tweeted along with the video: “PDP’s @parrawahid applauded by then HM @rajnathsingh for strengthening democracy in J&K has been arrested on baseless charges by NIA today. No coincidence that he filed his nomination for DDC on 20th Nov & received NIA summons next day itself.”
Parra is contesting from Pulwama. “Everyone knows at whose behest Davinder Singh worked,” Mehbooba tweeted. “Waheed has no connection whatsoever with this man & is being falsely charged. All just to blackmail & intimidate PDP & other mainstream political parties in J&K.”
Davindar was a top counter-insurgency cop before he was arrested last year for ferrying top Hizb commander Naveed Babu and his associate in his car. The arrest was a major embarrassment for the security establishment and immediately brought the focus back on the dark secrets of the murky counter-insurgency world, even raising fresh doubts on the government’s claims on the 2001 Parliament attack.
Afzal Guru, the prime accused who was hanged in 2013, had claimed that the attack was an insider job and Davinder had been involved. The claim was never investigated.
Mehbooba said Parra had been illegally arrested in 2019 along with hundreds of politicians ahead of the scrapping of Article 370.
“Yet his belief in democracy didn’t waver & he chose to contest the DDC elections. Seems like those who place their faith in the power of democracy will earn the wrath of a hostile & communal government. I can personally vouch for Waheed’s integrity, honesty & character. It’s up to the judiciary now to dispense justice & ensure @parrawahid is released at the earliest,” she tweeted.
The NIA has conducted multiple raids in recent weeks in Kashmir and many claim it was being used by the Centre to prevent any resistance against the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
