Gunmen kill BJP leader, brother in Kashmir

new delhi — Unidentified gunmen killed a leader of India’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jammu and Kashmir state late on Thursday, prompting authorities to impose a curfew in the area.

Anil Parihar, 53, state secretary of the BJP, and his brother, Ajit, were shot dead in the predominantly Muslim town of Kishtwar, while they headed home after shutting their shop, police said. Police are investigating whether it was a militant attack or a criminal act, a senior police officer said.

Anil Parihar was an influential leader in the region. He was considered a moderate and had a sizeable support base, even among Muslims, media reported.

The BJP leader had two bodyguards but they were not with him at the time of the attack, a police officer said. —