STATE TIMES NEWS
RAJOURI: A shutdown was observed in Rajouri town on Friday to protest the attack on a BJP leader’s house last night that left a three-year-old boy dead and six other people injured.
Scores of people, some of them BJP workers, also took out a protest rally denouncing the attack. They raised anti-Pakistan slogans.
LG condemns attack
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday condemned the attack on a BJP leader’s house in Rajouri district, which left a three-year-old child dead, and said the perpetrators of the heinous act will be brought to justice soon.
“My deepest condolences to family & prayers for early recovery of injured. Perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice soon, the LG said on Twitter.
Seven members of BJP leader Jasbir Singh’s family were injured after suspected terrorists lobbed a grenade at his house in Rajouri district’s Khandli area on Thursday night. The grenade exploded on the rooftop, police said.
The three-year-old boy, Veer, who was among the injured, died during treatment at the government medical college hospital in Rajouri around midnight, sources said.
All shops were shut and there was no traffic on roads on Friday in Rajouri town.
Agitators blocked a highway on a call by the Sanatan Dharam Sabha, but police managed to prevent them from going too far ahead.
Protesters blamed chinks in the security apparatus for the attack. They said terrorists are roaming freely and attacking BJP leaders with grenades.
Condemning the attack, the BJP and the Congress called for beefing up of the security network across Rajouri, a border district, in view of reports of infiltration attempts along the Line of Control (LoC).
Speaking to reporters in Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir BJP President Ravinder Raina blamed Pakistan for the attack.
“Pakistan and its terrorist forces attack soft targets and unarmed people and kill them. They are cowards,” he said.
Another BJP leader said, “Terrorists tasked by Pakistan are out to target and kill BJP leaders. It is happening in the entire union territory. They want to instil fear among minorities here but we will not be cowed down by such acts.”
Despite encounters taking place in Rajouri and the obvious movement of terrorists, he said, the police have totally failed to protect the BJP leaders.
He advocated the distribution of weapons and the setting up of village defence committees (VDCs) for the protection of minorities.
Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, R K Shavan assured the protesters that all measures would be taken to ensure the safety of the people, adding that the administration condemns the attack.
“The injured will be flown to Jammu in a helicopter for specialised treatment,” he said.
On the demand for VDCs, Shavan said the government will look into it.
BJP and Bajrang Dal workers also held protests in Jammu against the attack.
According to reports, the protest march which started from village Khandli Ward No 16 reached Panja Chowk where the protesters burnt effigies and raised anti-Pak slogans. They also raised slogans against District Administration and Police for their failure to protect the life and property of the people.
DIG Rajouri Poonch Range Vivek Gupta, SSP Sheema Nabi Qasba and other senior officers also reached the spot and tried to pacify the protesters. The protesters demanded proper protection to the family of Jasbir Singh, immediate arrest of the attackers, strengthening of the VDCs by providing them rifles and setting up of police nakas at different places.
The protests were also held at Sunderbani and Nowshera in which the protesters blocked the Jammu- Poonch National Highway and burnt the effigies of Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan.
The protesters also appealed to the Prime Minister and Lt Governor of JK UT to take appropriate action against Pakistan so as to avoid the frequent killings of innocent people of the country.