From an 800-km march to an alleged assault: The Kashmiri man who backs PM Modi

When some BJP leaders extended a warm welcome to Faheem Nazir Shah after his return to J&K from Delhi earlier this month, it raised a question — who was this Kashmiri protester and vocal supporter of the government, and why were the leaders keen to meet him?

Five years ago, a 29-year-old electrician from Srinagar made the headlines when he set out on an 800-km march from Srinagar to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi but was detained in Udhampur. This month, he was back in Delhi, and in the news — he was allegedly assaulted during an Opposition protest over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for raising pro-Modi slogans.

Faheem was allegedly assaulted on October 8 when he held a banner asking Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to apologise to Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. An FIR was registered in the case a day later.

“When I noticed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi moving on the other side of the road, I proceeded towards him to question him about his rhetoric against Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and CEC Gyanesh Kumar. I only wanted to ask him how EVMs could be bad when these were introduced by the Congress government in 1989 and his party formed government twice thereafter,” he said, adding that he challenged Gandhi to produce evidence of irregularities in the electoral process.

Faheem, who says he holds a postgraduate diploma in computer applications from Kashmir University, has repeatedly made public displays of his support for Modi. In 2022, he was in Delhi holding a banner criticising the Congress government in Punjab over the security breach during Modi’s visit to Ferozepur, when the prime minister’s convoy was stranded on a flyover for 15-20 minutes during a farmers’ protest.

Five years ago, a 29-year-old electrician from Srinagar made the headlines when he set out on an 800-km march from Srinagar to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi but was detained in Udhampur. (Express Photo)

The march for Modi

Faheem first came into the limelight in August 2021, when he embarked on a nearly 800-km march from Srinagar to Delhi to meet Modi. He was detained en route in Udhampur.

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The march, however, came at a personal cost. “Since then, much has changed. My mother disowned me after the police brought me back to Srinagar and asked her to take custody of me.”

He has not been in touch with his family since and has been living with a relative.

Despite his efforts, he hasn’t been able to meet Modi yet. But his support remains unwavering.

“The prime minister has achieved in the past 12 years what leaders of the Congress, National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could not in 70 years. Bloodshed in Kashmir declined, and stone-pelting had become a thing of the past. The youth had turned to books and computers and were looking towards better prospects,” he said. He added: “I did not want anything from him, but only to express my appreciation for his work in ending bloodshed and restoring peace in Kashmir.”

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The Congress, NC and PDP, on the other hand, had suppressed minorities and got innocent people killed over the past 70 years, he alleged, accusing them of trying to mislead minorities again for political gain.

After the alleged assault, Faheem claimed to have met Union Minister Jitendra Singh in Delhi. He also met former Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina in Jammu. Both assured him of their support, he said.

Faheem denied any association with the BJP, saying he had never met its leaders before. Kashmir BJP spokesperson Sajiid Yousuf Shah echoed this, saying: “We too came to know about him through media reports about the attack by Congress workers”.

Raina said he met Faheem for the first time on Wednesday morning, when the latter went to his residence straight from the railway station. “I consoled him as he started crying after meeting me,” the BJP leader said.

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Criticising the Congress over the alleged assault, Raina said the BJP government at the Centre would not tolerate such incidents. The police have registered a case and are looking for the alleged assailants, he added.

Faheem says he has been receiving death threats on social media since the assault. “Ever since my return to Srinagar this Wednesday, I have not moved out of my relatives’ house due to fear,” he said, adding that he would approach the Director General of Police for protection.