BJP WORKER SHOT DEAD IN J&K

SRINAGAR:A political worker currently associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party was shot dead in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Wednesday, police said, as chief minister Mehbooba Mufti condemned the incident as a ‘cowardly act’ by suspected militants in the strife-torn state.

Ghulam Nabi Patel, in his early sixties, was initially identified as a “senior Congress leader” by the CM but the Congress said he had left the party in 2008.

“After leaving us, he joined the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) and then joined some other party,” GN Monga, vice-president of Congress’ state unit, said.

BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur later said Patel had been working with the party for some time. “He did not hold any party position but was associated with us for one year now,” said Thakur. BJP’s state unit, in a statement released later, said they are “deeply saddened by the brutal murder of an innocent man by militants”.

Patel is survived by his eight children and two wives. He had unsuccessfully contested assembly elections from Rajpora constituency in 2008 as an independent candidate.

Former CM Omar Abdullah criticised the parties for “disowning” Patel and said they did so to “lie to their workers they aren’t at risk from militant bullets”. “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 an NC worker so his death is not in vain (sic),” the NC leader tweeted.

Police said Patel, a resident of Dangerpora Shadimarg, was travelling when suspected militants fired on his vehicle at Rajpora Chowk in Pulwama. “Terrorists fired at the Scorpio vehicle at Rajpura chowk in which Patel and two policemen got injured. Patel succumbed to his injuries in the fatal attack,” a police spokesperson said.

Imtiyaz Ahmad Zargar and Bilal Ahmad Mir, Patel’s personal security officers(PSOs), sustained bullet injuries and were shifted to a hospital. Reports, not confirmed by police, said the PSOs had left their weapons back at his current home at Housing Colony in Pulwama and were sitting ducks when militants appeared in front of their vehicle. Pulwama SP Mohammad Aslam Chowdhary said the militants are suspected to be from Hizbul Mujahideen outfit.

Ghulam Nabi Patel did not hold any party position but was associated with us for a year now.

ALTAF THAKUR , BJP spokesman