23 BJP WORKERS KILLED IN KASHMIR IN 2 YEARS

In less than two weeks, one more leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was killed by terrorists in South Kashmir. Javed Ahmed Dar, constituency in-charge of BJP for Hom Shalibugh, was targeted by terrorists at Brazloo-jagir in Kulgam. Dar was shifted to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

On 9 August, terrorists had barged into the rented accommodation of Ghulam Rasool Dar and his wife Jawhara Banoo in Lal Chowk area of Anantnag, and shot at them from a close range. Sixty-five-year-old Dar was the Kulgam district president of BJP Kisan Morcha and a sarpanch. His wife was also a panch from the same village.

Javid Dar became the 23rd leader of the BJP who has been targeted and killed by terrorists in the last two years. That coincides with the abrogation of Article 370 by the Union government on 5 August 2019. On 8 July last year, terrorists killed former district president of BJP Bandipora, Sheikh Waseem Bari, along with his father and brother in the main town of Bandipora. Police said that terrorists attacked Shiekh Waseem Bari at his shop at Muslimabad Bandipora in the evening. In the attack, Bari’s father Bashir Ahmad and younger brother Umar were also injured. All three were taken to the district hospital where they were declared brought dead. The attack took place close to the police station where Bari had a house and a shop. Interestingly, Bari was having adequate security provided by the state police. But at the time of attack, none of his guards was around.

Condemning the killing of Javed Dar, BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur said that “militants are feeling frustrated and targeting innocents”, adding that “killing unarmed people won’t lead to anything”. The BJP spokesman strongly condemned the killing terming it as a “cowardly and barbaric act while appealing to police to nab the killers and punish them sternly”.

In a tweet, Thakur said: “In last 2 years, 23 BJP leaders/activists killed. In past one year alone, nine deaths of BJP leaders/workers reported in Kulgam district alone. A matter of serious concern. High time for police to book culprits and to provide safe and secure accommodation to BJP workers and activists in south Kashmir. Measures need to be taken to prevent attacks on BJP leaders.”

During the last few years, the BJP has managed to rope in more than 5 lakh members spread through the length and breadth of Kashmir valley. Many of its members have managed to get elected to the local bodies. But due to the threat perception, most of them are not able to go to their constituencies. According to party insiders, more than 200 BJP workers have been put up in hostel type secured accommodations so that they are not targeted by militants. But this has affected their work because they are not able to roam freely and connect to the people at the ground level.

Sources in police said that more than 100 BJP leaders and workers in Kashmir valley have been provided security by the state police. These include the office bearers and first rung leaders of the party. But workers on the ground level are devoid of any security and are falling as sitting ducks. Sources said that it is not practically possible to secure all the political workers, be it from BJP or any other party. The authorities shall have to think of alternatives to safeguard the political workers to keep them involved in the political process.