BJP seeks more security amid increase in attacks on workers in Kashmir valley
NEW DELHI/ SRINAGAR : When Javed Ahmed Dar was shot dead point-blank at his residence in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K)’s Kulgam district on Tuesday, it was the latest in a series of attacks on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in the region. BJP leaders said 22 people affiliated with the party have been killed in the Kashmir Valley since 2019 when the Centre revoked J&K’s semi-autonomous status. Dar was shot dead a week after a BJP village head and his wife were killed in the Anantnag district.
Nine BJP workers have been killed in the neighbouring Kulgam alone over the last year.
BJP leader Altaf Thakur said their party workers are the specific target because of their “unrelenting nationalism”.
“On August 5, (the second anniversary of the revocation of the semi-autonomous status) BJP workers unfurled the national flag everywhere in the Valley as they did on August 15. This has caused frustration among the militants.”
He also linked the killings to local body elections held last year and restart of the development process in Kashmir. “Since
in a peaceful atmosphere, terrorism cannot flourish, this has unnerved the militants and they are on a killing spree.”
Thakur acknowledged the killings have created a fear psychosis among BJP workers while insisting they are still strong. “Our hopes are higher than the Himalayas and stronger than rocks.”
He claimed the BJP has 53,00,00 members in J&K and many of them are vulnerable but only 200 people have been given security.
“Despite attacks, our political activities are going on and will
go on.” Thakur added the government has provided safer accommodation to their workers at district levels as well as in Srinagar for over 500 of them. He said many BJP leaders face threats but are living without security. “Their lives have been reduced to changing their residences to dodge militant attacks in absence of security.”
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BJP leader Rajesh Pandita, who was killed in Pulwama in June, was allotted two personal security officers besides a secure accommodation in Srinagar. He was at a friend’s place without his security guards when he was shot dead while a woman was critically injured too. In Dar’s case, the J&K Police maintained he never asked for security. A police spokesman identified Dar as a civilian and a contractor by profession. He added that while BJP has identified him as a worker but the slain had not approached police for security. “Even the local BJP leader did not share his name in the list of PPs (protected persons).”
Sajjad Raina, the BJP’s Pulwama district president, said their workers have high morale and political killings are an everyday norm in Kashmir. “Pulwama is most hit by militancy and despite so many attacks happening on our workers across Kashmir, no one from my team of 60 members has resigned yet.” He added the credit for this goes to the government forces. “Whenever we are out to meet public police call us at least four times a day.”
Raina said he has been awaiting a bulletproof vehicle. “It has been months that I have sought it. I am hardly able to visit my home town.” He added that along with almost 50 workers, he is staying at a secured government accommodation in Pamthe pore near Srinagar. Raina said it is not just them who are under threat. “They can target anyone from our family. Neither I nor any other senior BJP workers have any security for their families.”
Another BJP worker, wishing anonymity, said he is married with two children. He added the government has offered him a secure accommodation of a single room shared by another BJP worker. “This is a pattern across Kashmir.”
Another BJP worker said the government has mandated decent food for them but the hotels serving them meals are unhygienic. “We are not animals,” he said. “We are not demanding any houses. Does a BJP worker not even hold a value of a single room secure accommodation or some hygienic food?”
He added the government should at least allot a single room to each worker to allow their families to live with them. Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said there is no place for such acts of violence. National Conference leader Omar Abdullah echoed her and added there is a long list of such people, who have been killed in Kashmir purely for their political beliefs.