Srinagar: Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Na goli se, na gaali se, Kashmir ki samasya suljhegi gale lagaane se" approach, the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir seems all geared up to absorb into its fold a youth who had shunned the path of terrorism and joined the mainstream.

The man in the question is Farooq Ahmad Khan - a former terrorist who is now a hardcore nationalist.

Khan, who was also known as Saifullah Farooq, was an active terrorist since 2011 and later he surrendered under the former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s rehabilitation policy. He also filed papers to contest municipal elections from Srinagar. 

Senior BJP leader and MLC Sofi Yousuf told MyNation that the party is ready to bring Khan into its fold.

Yousuf said that the BJP has a clear policy. If anyone wants to come back to the mainstream, he is welcomed. However, if he takes up the path of violence, the consequences will be severe and the security forces will decide his fate.

"There are many political parties with terror affiliations in the Valley. Farooq has paid the price for his mistakes, he is now an Indian and we are proud to have him in BJP's core team,” he added.

The BJP’s 275 candidates have filed papers for the upcoming municipal elections, despite boycott calls from two main regional parties, PDP and National Conference, and threats from terror outfits.

This is also the first time that the BJP is seen winning hearts in Kashmir. Sixty BJP candidates won the panchayat election without even contesting the polls. Out of those 60 candidates, eight are from Devsar, four from Qazigund, nine from Pahalgam, eight of Ashmuqam and four from Tral. 

All these areas fall in south Kashmir, which is believed to be a hotbed of terrorism.

Moreover, the BJP has also created an impact in the hometown of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani after the party managed to win eight awards in Sopore without contesting.