Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 25: A local politician of South Kashmir, Ghulam Nabi Patel, was killed and his two security guards injured in a militant attack at Rajpora in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district today.
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Militants fired upon the vehicle (Scorpio JK01M- 0099) of Patel at Rajpora Chowk critically injuring him and two security guards. Another cop present inside the vehicle, however, escaped unhurt. The injured cops have been identified as Imtiyaz Ahmad Zargar and Bilal Ahmad Mir.
Patil, a resident of Dangerpora Shadimarg later succumbed to injuries on the way to hospital and security forces launched massive manhunt to nab the assailants.
Patel was associated with Congress and had later joined ruling PDP. Interesting, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is also president of PDP, referred to Patel as Congress activist while condemning his killing.
An official statement issued here said: “Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has condemned the killing of a local Congress activist of Pulwama, Ghulam Nabi Patel who was killed this afternoon at Rajpora Chowk by unknown assailants. The Chief Minister has expressed sympathies with the bereaved family and prayed for peace to the departed soul.”
The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee president G A Mir, on the other hand, called him PDP activist.
The Congress party said that Patel had joined PDP in 2014 at Gupkar in presence of former Chief Minister and party patron late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. “Now see the height. PDP does not own their men,” they said.
Former Chief Minister and National Conference working president Omar Abdullah criticized the PDP and Congress for what he said disowning Patel, saying: “just call him NC worker so his death is not in vain”.
Family of Patel expressed surprise over PDP president and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s statement for disowning him by calling him a Congress activist. “He (Ghulam Nabi Patel) vigorously campaigned for PDP’s senior leader Dr Haseeb Drabu,” said Patel’s brother Ali Mohammad.
“It has come as a shock and surprise to us that he has been disowned by PDP and the statement of disowning him has come none other than party president and Chief Minister of the State Mehbooba Mufti,” he said.
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