J&K’s former Dy CM alleges Pak hand in terror attack on tourist couple
Says terrorists no longer enjoy local support
A day after a former panchayat official was shot dead by terrorists in South Kashmir’s Shopian and a tourist couple from Rajasthan injured in a separate terror strike in Anantnag, former deputy chief minister of the erstwhile state, Kavinder Gupta, said on Sunday said the attack was aimed at disturbing and hurting tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to ANI on Sunday, the senior BJP leader said, “There was a record tourist footfall in Kashmir last year, with the number of visitors estimated at 1,70,00,000. Hence, at a time when tourism is looking up and local businesses and livelihoods are booming, the attack was aimed at bringing back the dark days of terror in the region. It was intended to hurt the tourism prospects at a time when there is prosperity all around in Kashmir. I strongly suspect Pakistan to be behind this attack. However, the nefarious designs of people, who carry out terror hits in exchange for money and at the behest of their handlers (across the border) wouldn’t succeed. Their bid to bring back the reign of terror in the Valley will never succeed.”
“It should be kept in mind in this context that these people (terrorists) no longer enjoy local support as they used to earlier,” the former deputy CM told ANI.
A tourist couple from the Rajasthan capital, Jaipur, were injured in a terror attack in the Yannar area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Saturday night. In a separate attack barely minutes apart in Shopian, terrorists shot dead a former Sarpanch from the BJP.ANI
Coward terrorists will not be spared: Ravinder Raina
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jammu and Kashmir President Ravinder Raina lashed out at Pakistan a day after a BJP worker and a former Sarpanch, Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh, was killed in a terrorist attack in Shopian district, saying that the coward terrorists of the neighbouring country have spilled blood here.
“The coward terrorists of Pakistan have spilled blood in Kashmir. Kashmiriyat has been murdered. The merciless killing of party worker Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh is the murder of humanity. The perpetrators of this terrorist attack would be dealt with as per law and God will also not spare them,” Raina said in an emotional video message on Sunday.
“He was a friend of the poor people. He was working for the peace and prosperity. The perpetrators would not be spared, “he added.
Condemning the killing of their party leader, identified as Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh, at Heerpora in Shopian, the BJP on Saturday pledged support and solidarity with the kin of the deceased.
“We strongly condemn the killing of ex-Sarpanch Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh in Heerpora, Shopian, by terrorists today (Saturday),” Sajid Yousuf Shah, the in-charge of the BJP’s media cell in Jammu and Kashmir, posted from his X handle.
“He was a brave soldier of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Jammu & Kashmir. The BJP firmly stands with the family of Aijaz Ahmad, who lost his life in this terror attack,” he added.ANI
BJP Kashmir protests
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kashmir Unit on Sunday held a protest in Srinagar against the killing of the party worker in Shopian and another attack on tourists in Pahalgam area of Anantnag district.
BJP workers led by spokesperson Altaf Thakur held a protest march at the party’s Srinagar headquarters against the back-to-back terrorist strikes in south Kashmir’s Shopian and Anantnag. The protestors were holding placards, displaying slogans against Pakistan and innocent killings.
They demanded strict action against the terrorists involved in the killing of former Sarpanch Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh of Herpora Shopian and injuring two tourists in Pahalgam Anantnag.KNS
Terrorism will be completely wiped out in Modi’s next term: Sharma
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader and former minister Sunil Sharma on Sunday claimed that the ecosystem of terrorism has been taken to its last breath in J&K in the last five years, and will be buried completely in PM Modi’s next five-year term.
Sharma visited Herpora Shopian to express solidarity with the family of former Sarpanch Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh who was shot dead by terrorists on Friday evening.
“This is not an ordinary incident, but rather a cold war going on with a country (Pakistan) which is facing starvation at its peak. Their system has absolutely collapsed today. I want to clear it that it takes the BJP government five years to take terrorism to its last breath in Jammu & Kashmir, but it will be completely eradicated in the next five-year term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.
The BJP leader said the people of Jammu & Kashmir have reposed faith in democracy. “After four decades of time it is first time that polling turnout touched 40 percent graph, which reflects people confidence and faith on India and its democracy.
He said in the last five years BJP workers in Kashmir gave immense sacrifices and remained along with the people. He also said that today terrorists targeted our worker Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh, but his sacrifice would be remembered for a long.
“Being a sepoy of Narendra Modi, I want to clear that with the killing of Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh, there will be hundreds and thousands of Aijaz who will come up from Kashmir,” he said.
To a query, Sharma said that the BJP will provide appropriate compensation to the family of the deceased. “Further the matter will be taken up with the government to provide adequate ex-gratia in terms of employment,” he added.
AJKPC demands NIA probe, compensation for family of slain Sarpanch
The All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) paid homage and expressed deep grief over the brutal killing of Aijaz Sheikh, a former Sarpanch in Shopian district, who was murdered by terrorists on Saturday. It condemned the incident and has called for an NIA probe along with suitable compensation for the family of the deceased.
During a media interaction following a condolence meeting, Anil Sharma, President of AJKPC, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take cognizance of the assassination of the former Sarpanch and ensure that the culprits are swiftly brought to justice and neutralized.
“Grassroots-level democracy workers have tirelessly worked to ensure maximum voter participation in the ongoing election process,” he said. He criticized both past and present governments for neglecting and abandoning Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members to the mercy of terrorists.
Sharma also accused the police authorities of failing to provide adequate security to PRI members. “Over two dozen PRI members have sacrificed their lives for democracy, falling victim to anti-national forces,” he said. He claimed that security requests for PRI members are often ignored for years, while influential political leaders receive high-level security within hours or days.
The AJKPC president called on the Director General of Police, J&K, and the Chief of Jammu and Kashmir Security Headquarters to allocate security based on threat perception rather than social, political, or economic status. Without naming any political party, Sharma alleged that certain political leaders stay in Kashmir under full security protocols for brief periods and claim to be mass leaders, while it is the Panches and Sarpanches who have truly maintained the people’s faith in democracy.
He demanded Rs 1 crore in compensation for the family of the former Sarpanch Aijaz Sheikh and a government job for a suitable family member.
