BJP sarpanch, wife shot dead in Anantnag
Srinagar: Militants Monday shot dead a BJP sarpanch and his wife in Anantnag district of south Kashmir, police said.
The ultras fired on Ghulam Rasool Dar, also the Kulgam district president of the BJP’s Kisan Morcha, and his wife in Anantnag town in south Kashmir, a police official said.
He said the two were rushed to a hospital where they succumbed to their injuries.
Dar, a resident of Kulgam’s Redwani, was a sarpanch affiliated with the BJP. He had unsuccessfully contested the last year’s District Development Council elections.
Dar was currently living in a rented accommodation in Anantnag.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said that the BJP Sarpanch and his wife (Panch) were staying in a secure hotel accommodation until recently and were allowed to stay at their house on their request.
Kumar who visited the spot said Lashker-e-Toiba was behind the attack.
“Earlier the couple was staying in a secure hotel at Kulgam. They were allowed to stay at their house on their request,” the IGP said.
Interestingly, police announced suspension of the PSO of BJP Sarpanch and his Panch wife.
“PSO has been placed under suspension with immediate effect,” Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said.
Notably, leaders across the political spectrum condemned the killing of a BJP sarpanch and his wife asserting their sacrifices will not be allowed to go waste, while Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the perpetrators will be brought to justice soon.
“I strongly condemn brutal terrorist attack on the Sarpanch GH Rasool Dar and his wife Jawhara Banoo of Redwani Bala, Kulgam. This is an act of cowardice & perpetrators of violence will be brought to justice very soon. My deepest condolences to bereaved family in this time of grief,” the LG said on his official Twitter handle.
Dar was also the district president of the BJP’s Kisan Morcha for Kulgam and was presently living in a rented accommodation in Anantnag.
Meanwhile, BJP Jammu and Kashmir president Ravinder Raina condemned the killing of a party leader and his wife and said their sacrifices will not go waste.
Raina said the perpetrators of the “cowardly attack” would not escape the punishment at the hands of law-enforcement agencies.
“Once again the coward Pakistani-sponsored militants have bled Kashmir by killing our Kisan Morcha leader and his wife. Both of them were active members of the BJP and enthusiastically took part in the functions to mark the second anniversary of the revocation of Article 370 on August 5 and raised the Tricolour,” Raina told PTI.
“They have sacrificed their lives for the nation and we will not allow their sacrifices to go waste.”
He said Pakistan and militants supported by it are conspiring to turn the Kashmir valley into a graveyard but “our police, paramilitary forces and the Army are determined to root out terrorism and bring peace to the valley”.
“Our forces have launched a hunt and they will avenge the killings by eliminating those responsible for the act,” Raina said, adding those who indulge in violence are enemies of “humanity as well as Islam”.
The BJP’s J-K spokesman Altaf Thakur also condemned the killing, terming it “barbaric and cowardly”.
National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah said the deceased join a long list of mainstream politicians killed for their political beliefs.
“I unequivocally condemn the assassination of Ghulam Rasool Dar & his wife. They join a long list of mainstream politicians killed for their political beliefs. My condolences to his family & colleagues. May Allah grant the departed place in Jannat,” he wrote on Twitter.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said she felt sorry to hear the news of the killing.
“My condolences to their families & loved ones,” she tweeted.
Peoples Conference (PC) chairman Sajad Lone also strongly condemned the killing.
“Yet again a Kashmiri family is a victim of violence. Yet again, more addition to the community of orphans and hapless victims of gun. May the killers rot in hell,” he said. (with inputs from PTI)
