STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar: Two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists on Monday barged into the house of a BJP Sarpanch in Anantnag district and sprayed him and his wife with bullets, taking the number of saffron party workers killed in the Valley this year to four.
The incident, according to the police, took place at 4 pm in Lal Chowk area as the two terrorists entered the rented accommodation of Ghulam Rasool Dar and fired indiscriminately at him and his wife Jawhara Begum, officials said.
The BJP leader and his wife received critical gunshot injuries and were immediately shifted to a hospital, where they were declared brought dead, police said.
Immediately after the incident, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) Vijay Kumar reached the spot to have a firsthand assessment of the situation.
Widespread condemnation over killing of BJP Sarpanch, wife; LG assures prompt action
Srinagar: Leaders across the political spectrum in Jammu and Kashmir Monday condemned the killing of a BJP sarpanch and his wife in Anantnag, with the saffron party 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.
“Once again the coward Pakistani-sponsored terrorists 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 functions to mark the second anniversary of the revocation of Article 370 on August 5 and raised the tricolour,” J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina told PTI.
“They have sacrificed their lives for the nation and we will not allow their sacrifice to go waste.”
The BJP’s J-K spokesman Altaf Thakur also condemned the killing, terming it “barbaric and cowardly”.
While condemning the killings, National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah said the terrible news of the killings is heart wrenching.
“I condemn the killings unreservedly and in unequivocal terms. Such dastardly acts don’t augur well for the furtherance of lasting peace in Kashmir. I express my sympathies with the kith and kin of the bereaved at this difficult time and pray for peace to the departed,” he said.
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.
Meanwhile, Advisors, Baseer Ahmad Khan and Farooq Khan also strongly condemned the killing of Kulgam Sarpanch, Ghulam Rasool Dar and his wife Jawahira.
Condemning the killing in strongest words, Advisor Baseer Khan urged upon the police to nab the perpetrators of this heinous crime.
He said this is a barbaric attack against the humanity and demanded stern punishment to the killers.
Advisor Forooq said that such coward acts would not deter the nationalist people to work for the unity and integrity of the nation.
He expressed that such acts should be unequivocally despised by one and all so that these inimical forces gets the message loud and clear.
He also asked the police and other investigating agencies to take the probe to its logical conclusion quickly so that the culprits are brought to book soon.
Advisors also shared his sympathies with the bereaved family and said that the blood of their family members would not go waste. They said that their sacrifice would be remembered by all the patriotic people for all the times to come.
The IGP said that “two motorcycle-borne terrorists of banned LeT outfit were involved in this barbaric terror incident”.
The couple was provided a secured accommodation at the Snow Cap Hotel, Kulgam, and both stayed there for a short period, but they had been continuously insisting to move to their house at Anantnag Town and also submitted an undertaking in this regard, police said.
“On their request, they were allowed to stay at the house in Anantnag. He was also provided with one PSO who, however, was found absent from duty at the time of incident. The PSO has been placed under suspension,” a statement from the police said.
Police have registered a case in this regard and a probe is in progress to establish the full circumstances of this terror crime.
Dar, a resident of Redwani area of district Kulgam, was a Sarpanch affiliated with the BJP. He had unsuccessfully contested the last year’s District Development Council elections.
He was also the District President of the BJP’s Kisan Morcha for Kulgam.
Dar becomes the fourth BJP leader to be targeted by the terrorists this year alone.
While two BJP councilors were killed in a daring attack on the Municipal Council in Sopore area of Baramulla district in March this year, Rakesh Pandita, the BJP councilor from Tral in Pulwama district was shot dead on June 2 this year.
Terrorists have also targeted civilians, policemen and an off-duty army jawans during the year. While nine civilians have been killed by terrorists, six police personnel and an armyman also lost their lives in similar attacks.
Last year also, terrorists targeted BJP workers killing at least six of them.