23 party leaders, workers killed in 2 years
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Aug 17: A Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) worker was shot dead by militants in Brazloo area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district today.
Militants fired upon BJP In-charge for Homshali Bugh constituency outside his home from point blank range leaving him in a pool of blood. He died on the spot and the militants managed to flee from the spot.
He has been identified as Javid Ahmad Dar son of Mohammad Badullag Dar resident of Brazloo Jagir. He was In-charge for Homshali Bugh constituency for the last three years.
A police spokesman said here preliminary investigation revealed that militants barged into the house of Javid Ahmad Dar, a contractor by profession, resident of Brazloo and fired indiscriminately upon him.
The spokesman said that Dar was critically injured and died on the spot. “As claimed by BJP party spokesman, deceased person was BJP worker. As per district police no one had approached for security and even local BJP leader didn’t share his name in the list of PPs”, the spokesman added.
Police has registered a case in this regard under relevant Sections of law. “Investigation is in progress and officers continue to work to establish the full circumstances of this terror crime. Area has been cordoned and search in the area is going on. Police will identify the culprits and appropriate action would be taken at the earliest”, he said.
At least 23 BJP workers were killed in different militant attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in last two years.
In the last one year, seven BJP workers were killed in Kulgam district alone. In the last 10 days, four persons, including a minor son of a BJP leader, were killed in three separate attacks on BJP workers and leaders in J&K.
On August 12, a two-year-old child was killed while six others were injured after a grenade was lobbed towards the house of BJP Mandal president Jasbir Singh in Rajouri town.
On August 9, BJP Kisaan Morcha district president Kulgam Ghulam Rasool and his wife Jawhara Banoo who was also a Panch and affiliated with BJP belonging to Redwani Kulgam, were killed by militants in Lal Chowk Anantnag.
On June 2 , BJP leader and president MC Tral Rakesh Pandita was killed by militants in Tral. Nine BJP leaders and workers were killed in four months across Kashmir.
“Dastardly terror killing of BJP leader from Kulgam, Javed Ahmed, just two days after PM Narendra Modi spoke in his Independence Day address about the commitment to strengthen democracy in Jammu and Kashmir,”
Union MoS Home Dr Jitendra Singh said BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur condemned the killing and called it a cowardly and barbaric act. “The militants are feeling frustrated and targeting innocents. Killing unarmed people won’t lead to anything. It is cowardly and a barbaric act,” he said, appealing to police to arrest the killers and punish them sternly.
The attack also evoked condemnations from various other political parties. National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah denounced the killing of Dar.
“Terrible news from Kulgam. Javid Ahmed was gunned down in cold blood. I unreservedly condemn this terror attack and send my heartfelt condolences to Javid’s family and colleagues. May Allah grant him place in Jannat,” he wrote on Twitter.
The NC said such dastardly acts are a hindrance to peace in Kashmir. “JKNC unequivocally condemns the assassination of BJP leader JavidAhmad in Kulgam. This is an act of cowardice and such dastardly acts are a hindrance to peace in Kashmir. Our deepest condolences to bereaved family in this time of grief,” the party said on Twitter.
Condemning the killing, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said there is no place for such acts of violence.
“Condemn the killing of BJP leader Javid Dar and there is no place for such acts of violence. Sympathies and condolences to his family,” she said. Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Conference (JKPC) led by Sajad Lone said it was a senseless and unjustifiable act of violence.
“We condemn the killing of BJP worker Javid Ahmad Dar in strongest terms and without reservation. This is a senseless and an unjustifiable act of violence. We express our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family in this hour of grief,” the JKPC said in a tweet.
CPI(M) leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami also condemned the killing and said violence in any form is condemnable.
Terming the incident as unfortunate, he said there is no justification to kill any unarmed person.
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