2 days ahead of polls, jihadi terrorists kill RSS leader in Kishtwar

Jammu : An RSS activist and his personal security officer (PSO) were shot dead by suspected terrorists in a hospital in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Tuesday, forcing district authorities to impose curfew in Kishtwar and call out the Army to maintain law and order in the sensitive Chenab region, officials said.

The J&K governor condemned the Kishtwar terror incident and appealed to the people to cooperate with the administration and maintain peace and harmony.

“The incident took place at 12.30 pm when suspected terrorists entered a hospital and started firing at the RSS leader, Chanderkant Sharma,” officials said. They said the leader suffered a serious bullet injury to his abdomen while his PSO, identified as Constable Rajinder Kumar, died on the spot. “The attackers also decamped with the slain PSO’s service weapon,” they added.

The injured political leader was airlifted to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, but was declared brought dead, GMC&H Jammu sources said, adding, “His body was again airlifted to his native town late evening.”

After the attack, protests broke out in Kishtwar town against the government and police while spontaneous protests were also staged in Jammu, at the busy Rehari Chowk, by some Kishtwar residents.

“District authorities immediately imposed curfew in Kishtwar and neighbouring Bhaderwah and also snapped the internet connection in the area as a precautionary measure,” officials said. “Curfew was imposed in the town as a precautionary measure to prevent a law and order situation. Mobile internet services also were snapped in Doda and Kishtwar districts to prevent the spreading of rumours,” they added.

Local reports from Kishtwar said the last rites of the political activist are to be performed at around 11.00 am on Wednesday at the Kishtwar parade ground.

“After the attack, the terrorists also took away Rajinder’s weapon,” Jammu IGP Manish Kumar Sinha said.

“An extensive house-to-house search is on to nab the accused while some OGWs (overground workers of the separatists) too have been lifted for questioning,” another senior police officer said.

IGP Sinha said a joint search operation involving the police, Army and CRPF was on in Kishtwar and adjoining outskirts.

When contacted, Kishtwar district development commissioner Angrez Singh Rana said that in view of the law and order situation, the district administration had made a request to call out the Army in the town and adjoining areas to control the internal security situation. He added that curfew had been imposed in entire Kishtwar town and adjoining areas.

The killings come ahead of parliamentary polls on April 11 for Jammu-Poonch constituency.

Source : TOI