Gagangir Terror Attack: Protests held in Kashmir, Jammu against civilian killings
Srinagar: Protests were held at several places in Kashmir as well as in Jammu on Monday against the killing of seven persons in a terrorist attack in Ganderbal district, officials said.
A candlelight vigil was also held at Pulwama as a tribute to the seven victims – one local doctor and six non-local labourers — of the terror attacks at Gagangir in Ganderbal district on Sunday night, the officials said.
The biggest protest march was held at Pulwama where youth held placards demanding an end to the bloodshed of innocent people. They also demanded justice for the victims of the terror attack.
The protestors were carrying a huge banner which read ‘Pulwama Stands Against Terrorism’.
A similar protest was also held at Ghanta Ghar in Kulgam town.
Meanwhile, members of the Shiv Sena Dogra Front and Rashtriya Bajrang Dal burned Pakistani flags in Jammu in protest against the killings amid slogans against the neighbouring country.
The protesters demanded that the terrorists involved in the fatal attack be eliminated at the earliest to restore confidence among the people.
Blaming Pakistan squarely for the attack, the agitators claimed it was the fallout of the frustration among the terrorists after the peaceful Assembly elections and the formation of an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Led by Shiv Sena Dogra Front President Ashok Gupta, the protesters also burned the effigy of Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in response to the “dastardly” attack in Ganderbal, raising “Pakistan Hai Hai” slogans.
A doctor and six labourers were killed when terrorists struck a tunnel construction site on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway in Ganderbal district on Sunday.
The unidentified terrorists carried out the attack when the labourers and other staff working on the tunnel project at Gund in Ganderbal returned to their camp late in the evening, officials said.
The latest attack came days after the bullet-riddled body of a labourer from Bihar was found in Shopian district, raising concerns about the safety of non-local workers in J-K.
“Terrorists involved in such acts should be eliminated so that a strong message is sent to Pakistan. The houses of over-ground workers should be identified and bulldozed to ensure that no one dares to support the terrorists,” Gupta said.
Stating that the nation should stand united and avoid political maneuvering, Gupta said, “A strong retaliatory strike should be launched against the terror nation so that the world can be freed from its nefarious plans for once and all.
“Pakistan has to be taught a lesson. As our defence forces tighten the noose in Kashmir, terror activities are shifting to Jammu, while Punjab is already grappling with the menace of drugs spread by Pakistan.”
Claiming that the latest attack shows that Pakistan cannot tolerate the democratically elected government in J-K, Gupta said, “There can be no talks with them (Pakistan) if they continue to attack us. The prime minister is going to Russia this week to attend the BRICS Summit. I appeal to him to respond to Pakistan by saying there will be no talks, only action.”
On B C Road, members of the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (RBD) blocked traffic and burned Pakistani flags.
“We urge the lieutenant governor and the Union home minister to instruct the police and the army to eliminate those behind the attack in Ganderbal. They should be hunted down, and their bodies be sent back to Pakistan,” RBD Chairman Rakesh Kumar said.
Members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) also took out a protest rally here blaming Pakistan for the violence, which they claimed stemmed from the frustration over the peaceful Assembly polls and the subsequent government formation in J-K.
“The government must ensure the safety and security of those working in Kashmir. The terrorists must be taught a lesson, and Pakistan must stop promoting them,” said the party’s J&K unit chief Manish Saini.
