As another member from the minority community falls victim to the terrorist act in Kashmir, there has been a growing fear among the people working in various parts of the Valley.
On Tuesday evening, terrorists lobbed a hand grenade inside a wine shop in the Diwan Bagh area of Baramulla in which four members from the Hindu minority community were injured. Ranjit Singh of Bakhar area of Rajouri district succumbed to injuries while he was being shifted to the hospital.
All the victims belong to the Jammu region and were working as employees at the wine shop that had opened just two days ago.
Police said that terrorists came on a motorcycle and one was wearing a burqa went near the pothole of the wine shop and threw a hand grenade injuring the four employees of the wine shop. The police launched a rescue operation soon after the incident and the injured were rushed to the hospital where Ranjeet Singh succumbed to his injuries.
Residents of Sunderbani on Wednesday came on roads to protest the killing of Ranjit Singh and his family members demanded that the government should provide immediate compensation to the family and a government job to his children.
After the attack, there has been fear among the minority community working in Kashmir as they say that terrorists are targeting them so that they leave the Valley.
Official data suggest that about 18 minority community people including Kashmiri Pandits and non-local Hindus have been killed in different terror attacks after the abrogation on Article 370 and 35A since August 2019. Three Kashmiri Pandits, five Non-local Hindus and one Sikh woman were killed by terrorists.
Kashmir Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar on Tuesday met the protesting Kashmiri Pandits and assured them that elaborate security arrangements would be provided to them. He had said: “The terrorists and Pakistan want to scare the community but they should stay strong and the authorities will do everything possible in their efforts to provide security to the minority community working and living in Kashmir Valley.”
Sources within the security establishment say that terrorists are desperate to carry out such attacks to ensure that normalcy is not restored in the Valley. Attacking the wine shop and minorities clearly point out to the fact that they want complete Islamisation of the Kashmir valley however the security agencies will not let this happen at any cost.
In the recent past, there has been an increase on the attacks on minorities, especially the Hindus living in the Valley. Last week, government employee Rahul Bhatt was shot down inside his office in Chadoora area of Budgam district.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha promised that it would provide every possible assistance to the family of Rahul Bhatt and would give a government job to his wife.