The father of Army jawan Aurangzeb, who was abducted and brutally killed by militants last year in Pulwama, on Sunday joined BJP in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public rally here.

Rifleman Aurangzeb's father Mohammad Hanief, a resident of Rajauri, joined the BJP along with former Army officer, Lt Gen (Retd) Rakesh Kumar Sharma.

Hanief, along with Sharma, handed over a portrait of his martyred son to the prime minister as he welcomed them to the party.

Rifleman Aurangzeb of 44 Rashtriya Rifles was abducted and killed by terrorists in Pulwama district when he was on his way home to celebrate Eid on June 14. He was awarded Shaurya Chakra posthumously.

I have joined the BJP for its pro-poor policies. Modi government is the best in the country which thinks about the poor unlike the previous governments, Hanief said.

After the martyrdom of Aurangzeb, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Chief of Army Staff Gen Bipin Rawat had separately visited the family to express their condolences.

Earlier, state president of BJP Ravinder Raina announced the decision of Hanief and Sharma to join the party which was welcomed by the people with pro-party sloganeering.

Almost all senior BJP leaders including former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta and national vice president BJP Avinash Rai Khanna were present at the dias.