Slain RSS man’s family votes for bringing killers to justice

KISHTWAR: As soon as the rituals of the 10th day of mourning period ended, the elderly mother of slain RSS leader Chanderkant Sharma, walked to a polling station with family members, saying their votes were for bringing his killers to justice.

The senior RSS leader and his security guard were killed on April 9 when a terrorist opened fire inside a health centre in Kishtwar town. Authorities, then, imposed a curfew and call the Army to maintain law and order in the communally-sensitive region.

Led by Sharma's mother, Vidhya Devi, seven family members walked to polling station number 5 at veterinary hospital in the town and cast their votes.

"My brother laid down his life for the country. It is our right and duty to cast vote. Even in this situation we still voted," Chanderkant's brother Surikant Sharma told.

The distraught family said they were voting for the government and police to bring his killers to justice.

He said that he hoped the government will arrest the killers as soon as possible and hang them. "Our vote is for that," the brother said.

They asserted that Sharma was brave and never feared the threats of terrorists in Kishtwar.

They family, before coming to polling station, performed the rituals in which large number of the people took part Thursday morning.

Vidya Devi was accompanied by Surikant Sharma, daughters, Chander Kala and Jotshana Devi, daugher-in-law Anju Devi and Pranav Sharma to the polling station.

Kishtwar is part of the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, where polling was held Thursday, along with 96 other constituencies across 13 states in the second phase of elections.