Srinagar, Aug 17: At least 21 BJP workers were killed in different militant attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in the last two years, figures revealed on Tuesday.
As per the details available with news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), 23 BJP workers including some leaders were killed by militants in separate attacks in J&K in the past two years.
Official sources said that in the last one year, seven BJP workers were killed in Kulgam district alone.
Pertinently, in the last ten days, four persons including a minor son of a BJP leader, were killed in three separate attacks on BJP workers/ leaders. The latest killing took place on August 17, when militants killed BJP’s constituency in-charge Javaid Ahmed Dar son of Mohammed Abdullah Dar was shot dead in Brazloo, Kulgam.
On August 12, a two-year-old child was killed while six others were injured after a grenade was lobbed towards the house of BJP Mandal president Jasbir Singh in Rajouri town.
On August 9, BJP Kishan Morcha District President Kulgam Gh Rasool and his wife Jawhara Banoo who was also a panch and affiliated with BJP belonging to Redwani Kulgam were killed by militants in Lal Chowk Anantnag. On June 02 , BJP leader and president MC Tral Rakesh Pandita was killed by militants in Tral. Nine BJP leaders, workers were killed in four months across Kashmir, officials said.
On October 30 last year, three BJP workers namely Fida Hussain, who was BJP’s Yuva Morcha General Secretary, BJP worker Umar Ramzan, both residents of Y K Pora, Qazigund and Umar Rashid, a resident of Sopat in Devsar area of Kulgam, were killed. On September 23 last year, Block Development Council (BDC) chairman Khag affiliated with BJP Party namely Bupinder Singh of Budgam was killed by militants at his ancestral village Dalwach, Budgam.
Last year, on August 09, BJP’s OBC District President Abdul Hamid Najar was killed when he was on a morning walk in Ompora, Budgam. On August 06, BJP Sarpanch Sajad Ahmad Khanday was shot dead by militants near his residence at Vessu, Qazigund.
Last year on 04 August, a BJP Sarpanch was shot at and injured during a militant attack in Akhran area of Kulgam, however, he survived.
Last year on July 08, three members of a family including BJP State executive Committee member Sheikh Waseem Bari, his father Bashir Ahmad and brother Sheikh Umar who were also office bearers were killed by militants at their residence in Bandipora
Meanwhile, BJP on Tuesday said that frequent killing of BJP workers is a matter of grave concern.
BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur said that it is a matter of serious concern and it is high time for police to book culprits and provide safe and secure accommodation to BJP workers and activists in South Kashmir. “Measures need to be taken to prevent attacks on BJP leaders,” he said—(KNO)
