DISPUTED IN DEATH Shot dead by terrorists, pol leader disowned by parties

NC takes jibe as PDP-Cong shift affliation; BJP says, our man

SRINAGAR: Ruling PDP and Opposition Congress hit a new low in Kashmir politics by disowning a senior mainstream political acitivist who was shot dead today by terrorists in South Kashmir's Pulwama district.

While main Opposition National Conference criticised the two parties for undermining his dignity, it was the other coalition partner in the government, BJP which late Wednesday night claimed that the deceased was associated with the saffron party.

Ghulam Nabi Patel, a resident of Shadimarg area in Pulwama, was attacked by militants in Rajpora town today, police said, in which Patel died and his two Personal Security guards were critically injured.

SSP Pulwama, Muhammad Aslam said that Patel was on his way to Pulwama town from his home Dangerpora, Shadimarg, when terrorist resorted to indiscriminate firing on his SUV at Rajpora town.

“He stopped his Scorpio vehicle near a chowk in Rajpopra village and was standing there when terrorists came in a vehicle from opposite direction and opened volume of fire on his vehicle,” he said.

“Patel sustained critical bullet injuries and died on spot. Two of his guards identified as Imtiyaz Ahmad Zargar and Bilal Ahmad were shifted to community health centre Rajpora,” he said.

Security forces have cordoned off the area and a hunt has been launched to nab the attackers, he said, adding that a case has been registered and investigations have been taken up.

“Imtiyaz had a firearm injury in the chest and was referred to SKIMS Soura for specialised treatment, while the other cop was shot in left leg,” concerned doctors said.

The political parties were prompt to condemn the killing, however things didn’t take long to turn ugly. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti described Patel as a senior Congress leader while the Congress said he was a "well-known PDP activist". National Conference leader Omar Abdullah waded into the row, saying if neither PDP nor Congress was willing to own Patail as one of their own, he could be called an NC worker.

Patel was a mainstream political acitivist of Congress from the last two decades in Rajpora. But in 2014 he joined PDP, which in 2017 disowned him.

In June 2017, PDP issued a public statement disowning Patel, saying the party has no functionary of such name in Shopian District.

"Reports were received by the party office that the said person has been describing himself as general secretary of the Shopian District and is exploiting the party’s name for his pity personal interests.

In the wake of these reports party felt necessary to aware public about such alleged exploitors. Since he does not belong to PDP, any body interacting with him in the name of the party will do that at his own risk and responsibility," PDP had said in the statement.

The said person is also informed to restrain from using PDP’s name, it had said.

However, after his killing PDP and Congress disowned him as both the parties tried not to scare their workers.

“Heartfelt condolences to the family of senior Congress leader, GN Patel who was killed by militants today in Rajpora. Such cowardly acts achieve nothing but leave one more family devastated," Mehbooba tweeted.
Irked by the CM's tweet, Congress swiftly issued a statement saying that the deceased as a well-known PDP activist of Pulwama district and strongly condemned his killing.

Congress State president G A Mir said Patel had contested election on Congress ticket in 2002 but left the party to contest as an independent in 2008.

“In 2014 he joined the PDP and supported their candidate. I am at loss to understand why PDP disowned him now. He was enjoying security as well because he was from the ruling party”, said Mir.

Taking a dig at political slugfest by PDP and Congress over disowning dead Patel, former chief minister and NC working president Omar Abdullah said that it was tragic.

“How tragic that Patel Sahib, a political worker assassinated by militants in Kashmir is being disowned by both the PDP & Congress. If neither party is willing to own him as one of their own let’s just call him a NC worker so his death is not in vain,” Abdullah wrote on Twitter.

The former chief minister said Patail was being denied the dignity of having been killed for his political affiliations so that the PDP and Congress can lie to their workers to claim they were not at risk.

"Ghulam Nabi Patail is being denied the dignity of having been assassinated for belonging to a political party just so the PDP & Congress can lie to their workers to claim they aren't at risk from militant bullets, Abdullah said in another tweet.

However, later in the night, BJP district president Pulwama Abdul Gani said that the deceased was associated with BJP.

He said Patel had joined BJP two years back and was the active member of the party.

“He was a dedicated party worker,” Gani said, adding that party leaders have asked the political workers to maintain low profile in the Valley.