In last 10 months,12 BJP leaders killed in militant attacks in Kmr

VISHAL. Updated: 4/3/2021 11:22:03 AM Front Page

Jammu: While the militant attacks particularly targeting the leaders of saffron brigade have increased manifold in the Kashmir valley, nearly one dozen BJP workers have been killed in the past ten months in various attacks carried out across the valley.
Recently, before attacking the BJP leader Anwar Khan’s house in Naugam, Srinagar, two BJP councilors and a policeman of the national party were killed in Sopore.
The attacks however, were completely different from those carried by the militants on leaders associated with mainstream political parties in Kashmir, because attacking outfits have been raising jihad against Hindutva in the Valley.
As per political analysts, terrorist outfit ‘The Registration Front’ (TRF), believed to be a sister concern of Lashkar-e-Taiba according to Jammu and Kashmir Police, are particularly targeting the people supporting the saffron brigade or carrying forward their agenda.
“During the last 10 months in Kashmir, about a dozen BJP workers have been killed in various militant attacks,” said sources.
On July 8, 2020, militants killed BJP leader Wasim Bari in Bandipora with his father Bashir Ahmed and brother Umar Sultan in his house.
Wasim’s father and brother were also BJP workers and almost a month later, BJP leader Abdul Hameed Najar was also killed in a militant attack on August 9, 2020 in Ompora, Budgam.
On August 6, three days before the assassination of Abdul Hameed Najar in Budgam, Shahzad Ahmad Khande, a sarpanch belonging to the BJP was killed in a militant attack in Vesu Qazigund.
After this, Sardar Bhupendra Singh, chairman of the BJP-backed Block Development Council in Budgam was murdered on September 23, 2020 by militants outside his house. On October 29, 2020, three BJP workers, Fida Hussain Yattu, Umar Rashid Baig and Omar Ramadan Hajjam, were also kidnapped and killed by militants in Kulgam.
BJP leaders active in the Valley are apprehensive about their safety in view of ever increasing militant attacks.
“It has now been years for many politicians who have returned to their ancestral homes due to the continuous attacks being carried out,” they expressed.
“The image of BJP is the party with ‘Hindutva’ ideology and anybody supporting it or carrying forward its agenda, is on the radar of the militants on ‘jihad’ movement,” said an expert.
“Many leaders associated with the BJP, post abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, has been blaming militants and separatists as enemies of peace,” they expressed asserting that if attacks on National Conference workers have been termed as attack on democracy in Kashmir then on BJP workers, they are the attacks on ‘national integration’.
A BJP leader from Kashmir, pleading anonymity said, “no doubt, local BJP leaders and workers in Kashmir valley are facing threat perceptions but on the other hand, BJP’s agenda is completely nationalistic, which means the stronger the party will be in Kashmir, weaker will be the separatists and militants pursuing their agenda.”
“BJP workers are well aware that they are under threat yet the courage has not weakened,” he expressed and said that leaders have conveyed on several occasions seeking security cover but fool-proof arrangements have not been made so far on ground and most of the workers associated with the BJP are functioning behind the scene.
He however, claimed that in Kashmir valley, around 5.50 lakh workers are engaged with the BJP.
Meanwhile a senior police officer said that about 200 BJP leaders and activists have been provided security cover in the Valley, adding, “security cover of each member is being reviewed afresh. Attacks on these political activists are being carried out at the behest of Pakistani agencies operating from across the border.”
Updated On 4/3/2021 11:24:42 AM


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