Guv Malik blames militants for killing of BJP leaders in Kishtwar, Says ‘attackers identified’

Jammu : Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Monday said the two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were killed in Kishtwar to disrupt the upcoming Panchayat polls claiming therein that the attackers have been identified.He also announced the decision to assess the losses suffered by farmers and adequate compensation to them.
Addressing a press conference after formally opening the move offices in winter capital Jammu, Malik said the two BJP leaders were killed by the militants to disrupt the upcoming Panchayat polls in the state. During an investigation, he said, it was established that the militants killed the brothers to “derail panchayat elections, but we will not allow it to happen.”
BJP state secretary Anil Parihar and his elder brother Ajeet Parihar who was also affiliated with the saffron party were shot dead by gunmen near their residence in Kishtwar town on the evening of November 1. Governor said that there were apprehensions of violence following the killings, but the situation was handled well by the administration and the people of both the communities.
“After the killings, we were afraid that some miscreants might use the situation to incite communal violence in Kishtwar as the area has seen lot of violence in the past. But the way both the communities handled the situation and condemned the killing is appreciable,” he said.
On threat posters surfacing in Doda, the Governor said: “These are isolated incidents. We have successfully conducted elections where these posters are coming on daily basis (referring to Kashmir).” On the Supreme Court guidelines to take biometrics of the Rohingyas, Malik said that the entire process will be completed in two months.
Governor also announced that farmers in Kashmir will be compensated for the losses they suffered losses due to untimely snowfall. He said an assessment is being done and that the farmers would be compensated once we have the loss report in next few days. Malik said that around 90 percent power supply was restored in Srinagar, Baramulla, Bandipora, Kupwara and Ganderbal districts. “In Budgam district 50 percent power supply was restored,” he said.
“Due to damage to four major power towers we faced maximum problem in south Kashmir. So far the power supply was restored partially in Anantnag and Pulwama districts while in Kulgam and Shopian the power supply will be restored partially by today evening or tomorrow,” he said.
He also added that hospitals in all districts of Kashmir province were working normally on emergency restoration system.