Srinagar, Aug 9: Leaders across the political spectrum in Jammu and Kashmir Monday condemned the killing of a BJP sarpanch and his wife in Anantnag, with the BJP leaders asserting “their sacrifices will not be allowed to go waste”, while Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said the perpetrators will be brought to justice soon.
Lt Governor
“I strongly condemn brutal terrorist attack on the Sarpanch Gh Rasool Dar and his wife Jawhara Banoo of Redwani Bala, Kulgam. This is an act of cowardice & perpetrators of violence will be brought to justice very soon. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family in this time of grief,” the LG said on his official Twitter handle.
BJP
“Once again the coward Pakistani-sponsored terrorists have bled Kashmir by killing our Kisan Morcha leader and his wife. Both of them were active members of the BJP and enthusiastically took part in functions to mark the second anniversary of the revocation of Article 370 on August 5 and raised the tricolour,” J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina told PTI.
“They have sacrificed their lives for the nation and we will not allow their sacrifice to go waste.”
The BJP’s J-K spokesman Altaf Thakur also condemned the killing, terming it “barbaric and cowardly”.
National Conference
The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Monday condemned the killing of Sarpanch from Kulgam district affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party and his wife in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
While condemning the killings Party President Dr Farooq Abdullah said the terrible news of the killings is heart wrenching. “I condemn the killings unreservedly and in unequivocal terms. Such dastardly acts don’t augur well for the furtherance of lasting peace in Kashmir. I express my sympathies with the kith and kin of the bereaved at this difficult time and pray for peace to the departed,” he said.
National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah said the deceased join a long list of mainstream politicians killed for their political beliefs. “I unequivocally condemn the assassination of Ghulam Rasool Dar & his wife. They join a long list of mainstream politicians killed for their political beliefs. My condolences to his family & colleagues. May Allah grant the departed place in Jannat,” he wrote on Twitter.
Party General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, MP Hasnain Masoodi, District President Abdul Majeed Larmi, spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar have also condemned the killings and expressed condolences with the bereaved.
PDP
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said she felt sorry to hear the news of the killing.
“Extremely sorry to hear that BJP District President & his wife have been shot dead by militants today. My condolences to their families & loved ones,” she said in a tweet.
Peoples Conference
PC President Sajad Lone strongly condemned the killing of BJP Sarpanch Ghulam Rasool Dar and his spouse. “Yet again a Kashmiri family is a victim of violence. Yet again more addition to the community of orphans and hapless victims of gun. May the killers rot in hell,” he tweeted.
Apni Party
Apni Party General Secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir on Monday strongly condemned the killing of a Sarpanch and his wife in Anantnag.
In a statement issued here, Mir termed the incident as highly deplorable and demanded that the perpetrators of this heinous act should be brought to justice.
“Apni Party strongly condemns this ghastly incident which resulted in the death of Sarpanch of Redwani-Kulgam, Ghulam Rasool Dar and his wife in cold blood. Such mindless attacks shall achieve nothing except for more miseries to the common people,” Mir remarked.
Apni Party General Secretary said that there is no justification to kill an innocent and violence in all its manifestation has no place in any civilized society across the world.
“Political process in violence-hit Kashmir is itself a difficult task and the activists cutting across political lines are risking their lives and doing their bit to strengthen the peace process,” Mir said, while demanding immediate review of security cover of all political activists including those whose security cover has been withdrawn recently.
Expressing solidarity with the bereaved family, Mir prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls and endurance for their family members to bear this irreparable loss.
“Apni Party expresses deepest condolences to the bereaved family and expresses solidarity with them at this time of grief,” he added.
AJKPC
All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) has strongly condemned the killing of a Sarpanch and his wife in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district and asked the government to conduct a fresh security audit of all Panchayat members in vulnerable parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement, Anil Sharma, UT president of AJKPC said: “The terror attack is a cowardly act done in a bid to derail the process of strengthening and empowering grassroots level democratic institutions in the Union Territory.
“The Sarpanch Ghulam Rasool and his wife Jawhara Banoo, also a Panch, have been killed in a cowardly terror attack. This is not for the first time when terrorists have targeted the elected Panchayat members to create a fear psychosis among grassroots level representatives. From 2011 till now, around two dozen elected Panchayat have been gunned down in terror attacks. Such mindless and political killings will yield nothing but only further firm up determination of Panchayat members to serve their people.”
Sharma expressed his sympathies with the grieved family members. “These killings have again shifted back the focus on the need for a fresh audit of security of elected Panchayat representatives in troubled and vulnerable areas of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said, adding “All concerned security agencies should work in close coordination while reviewing the security of Panchayat members to plug all loopholes”.
“There is also a need to immediately clear all pending cases being forwarded by the ADGP (Security) to Home Department to save the precious lives of Panchayat leaders who have been doing commendable job on ground to strengthen grassroots level democracy and serve their own people. For this, the Home Department should immediately conduct the meeting of SRCC (Security Review Coordination Committee to clear all pending cases of security requests made by Panchayat leaders,” the AJKPC President said.
The AJKPC leader also demanded immediate an ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakh (Rs 25 lakh each) to the next of kin of slain Panchayat members.