After a Kashmiri Pandit was shot dead in Pulwama on Sunday, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying these incidents only benefit the BJP, be it in Haryana or in Kashmir.
She said that the BJP had failed to protect the lives of the minorities living in the valley. Mufti accused the BJP government of endangering the lives of minorities in Kashmir while projecting a picture of normalcy in the valley.
Earlier, Sanjay Sharma, 40, who worked as an ATM guard, was shot in the chest at point-blank range in the Achan area of the south Kashmir district around 11 am, police said.
“These incidents only benefit the BJP whether it is in Haryana or Kashmir. The BJP failed in protecting the lives of minorities here. They only use minorities to show normalcy in the valley,” the former chief minister said.
Blaming the BJP-led Centre for failing to protect Kashmiri Pandits, she said, “A few days ago, right-wing terrorists killed two Muslims in Rajasthan. Today, you have killed a Hindu. What is the difference between you and them?”
“BJP uses these types of incidents to degrade the image of Muslims in the country. I condemn this act. This is not the behaviour of the Kashmiri people. All these acts show the failures of the Government,” she said on targeted minority killings in the valley.
Political parties condemned the killing, terming it “senseless”.
“Deeply saddened to hear of the demise of Sanjay Pandith of Achan in Pulwama district of South Kashmir. Sanjay was working as a bank security guard and was killed in a militant attack earlier today. I unequivocally condemn this attack and send my condolences to his loved ones,” National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah said in a tweet.
