Continued killings of KPs utter failure of the LG administration: BJP in Kashmir

PTI, Aug 17, 2022, 7:57 PM IST

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BJP’s displaced Kashmir unit on Wednesday attacked the Union Territory administration for failure to make an SIT report into the killing of Kashmiri Pandit employees public, saying the lapse raises a question mark on the intention of authorities.

The BJP unit also blamed the government for the killing of Sunil Kumar Bhat, a local Kashmiri Pandit, and said that the continued targeted killing of Kashmiri Hindus was due to the failure of the administration.

Terrorists belonging to Al-badr outfit shot dead Bhat and injured his cousin Pritmber Kumar Bhat on Tuesday at an apple orchard in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, which was the site of similar attacks against minorities in April.

The fresh casualty raised the number of targeted killings to 21 this year. This was the second such attack against a minority community member in at least two days in the Valley.

On Monday evening, suspected militants threw a hand grenade in Gopalpora in Chadoora area of central district of Budgam, injuring one man, Karan Kumar Singh.

”What is more concerning is that government has not come out with the SIT report which was constituted to investigate the brutal assassination of KP employee Rahul Bhat on 12th of May this year, followed by equally inhuman, merciless and ruthless assassination of Rajni Bala and Vijay Kumar,” President of BJP’s Kashmir Displaced District Chand Ji Bhat told reporters here.

Bhat, who chaired a meeting of the unit, said making the report public could prevent ”the heinous killing of Sunil Bhat and other innocent civilians.”

The BJP leader said that the intentions of the Lieutenant Governor administration are suspect and alleged that no responsibility has been fixed yet on the authorities.

The unit urged LG Manoj Sinha to open communication with the community immediately to infuse among them a sense of confidence.

BJP leader and spokesman Rajiv Pandita said that the continued targeted killing of Kashmiri Hindus was a result of callousness on the part of security brass in Kashmir. ”The jihadi agenda of total annihilation of Kashmiri Hindus in Kashmir is not being taken seriously and it is leaving the remaining minority Hindu community of Kashmir in a lurch,” he said.

The group said that despite the open threat to the lives of vulnerable sections of the population, the administration has failed to ensure their security.

“The fact that victims had approached administration for visible lacunas in security also reflects poorly … and is a repetition of what was observed during Wandhama and Nadimarg mass massacres,” Pandita said.

BJP leaders urged the administration to be sensitive to the aspirations and genuine concerns of the Kashmiri Hindus. They appealed to the people to maintain peace and express their anger in a constructive and democratic manner.