Kishtwar/Srinagar : BJP leader and his brother who were shot dead by unknown gunmen on Thursday night were cremated amid tensions in Kishtwar district of Jammu region on Friday. Amid curfew, a large number of people participated in cremation process.
The Indian Army staged a flag march in communally-sensitive Kishtwar while curfew continued in the town following angry protests after the killing of Anil Parihar (52), BJP State Secretary and his elder brother Ajeet Parihar (56).
On Thursday night Parihar brothers were returning home from their shop when they were fired upon from close range at a dark, narrow lane leading to their house. The killings sparked violent protest prompting authorities to impose curfew and call army to maintain law and order.
Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Angrez Singh said curfew remained imposed in the town and prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which bans the gathering of more than four people, has been clamped in Chatroo and Padder sub-divisions of the district to avoid any law and order problem.
Pertinently, the communal infested district will go for Panchayat polls from Mid November. The killings of Parihar brothers drew condemnation from all political parties. Additional District Magistrate Bhadarwah, Dr Ravi Kumar Bharti imposed curfew in Bhadarwah town at 4:30 AM as a “precautionary measure” in view of killings of BJP state secretary Anil Parihar, 52, and his brother, Ajeet Parihar, 55 by unknown gunmen last night. In Doda town curfew was imposed at 11 AM. Because of curfew in Kishtwar, board exams of higher secondary Part-I scheduled for Friday were canceled in five centers of the town. However in Bhadarwah, the exam was conducted normally and roll number slips of candidates were treated as curfew passes.
In Bhadarwah, no violent incident was reported but as a precautionary measure the curfew was imposed at 4:30 AM on Friday morning, following which troops of Rashtriya Rifles based at Bhadarwah led by Commander 4 Sector RR took out flag march at 12 PM in the town and its peripheral areas.
Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah said it was a “very sad news” and offered condolences to the families of the Parihar brothers. BJP general secretary Ashok Koul called for punishment to the culprits involved in it.
CPI(M) legislator MY Tarigami and state Congress president Gulam Ahmed Mir also condemned the killings of the BJP leader and his brother. Mir termed the attack “barbaric and unfortunate” and pointed towards the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
Mehbooba Mufti while condemning the killings expressed solidarity with the family. National Conference’s Jammu province chief Devender Rana said the killings were “barbaric, inhuman and most unfortunate”.
Jammu Muslim Front while appealing for peace and calm demanded that a through probe should be initiated to nab the killers. Chariman JMF, Mr Shujah Zafar and President Qazi Imran said that both Muslims and Hindus need to show patience and live like brothers at this critical juncture when some vested interest elements are trying to disturb the communal harmony in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
BJP National Vice President Yuva Morcha Engineer Ajaz Hussain said that militancy will eat away even those who are feeding on it. While condemning the killing of Parihar brothers, Ajaz Hussain said that such tactics won’t disturb the communal harmony in Jammu and Kashmir.
