Kashmir: Injured BJP worker dies, large number of people attend last rites

Srinagar/UNI: A Kashmiri leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Abdul Hamid Najar, who was critically injured in militant firing in central Kashmir district of Badgam on Sunday, died in a Srinagar hospital on Monday morning.

A large number of people, including relatives, friends and neighbours attended the Nimaz Jinazah of Najar at Ompora in Badgam, where he was buried in the ancestral graveyard on Monday.

Attack on Najar was condemned by BJP and Apni Party describing it as an inhuman and cowardly act.

Official sources told UNI that Najar, who was district president of Minority Morcha of BJP, had left his Mohiendpora residence for a routine morning walk at 5:30 am on Sunday when militants attacked him near the railway track which mostly remained deserted.

Najar had no security, they said adding the injured was immediately rushed to SMHS hospital where he was operated upon by the doctors.

The gunmen managed to escape, though security forces immediately reached the spot and started conducting a search operation, sources said.

After surviving for over 12 hours. Najar lost the battle and succumbed at 0600 hrs this morning, senior BJP leader and media incharge, Kashmir, Manzoor Bhat told UNI.

BJP leaders and workers are being targeted by militants from the last couple of months. We have already spoken to our party high command and the administration efforts are being made to provide security to our workers and leaders, who are under threat, he said.

Meanwhile, BJP General Secretary (Organisation) in Jammu and Kashmir Ashok Koul, who has been raising the security issue after the recent attacks, has now written a letter to national president J P Nadda in this regard, seeking secured accommodation for the party leaders in every district in Kashmir.

He has urged the workers and leaders not to come out without security cover. Koul said the BJP leaders and workers will not be cowed down by such inhuman and coward acts.

However, about six local leaders and workers have resigned from the BJP in Badgam, Ganderbal and Baramulla after the attack.

About six BJP workers and local leaders left BJP after a Sarpanch was shot dead by militants in south Kashmir last week.

This was the third attack on people associated with BJP in the valley during the last five days.

A Sarpanch was killed outside his residence at Qazigund in south Kashmir on Thursday while another Sarpanch, identified as Arif Ahmad Shah, was critically injured in the attack by militants in south Kashmir.

Last month, former BJP district president Waseem Bari, his father and brother were killed inside their shop in north Kashmir district of Bandipora.

Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) senior leader and former legislator Rafi Ahmad Mir condemned the attack on BJP worker Najar in Budgam district.

Mir urged Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to take an immediate review of the security situation, especially the requirements of political workers, irrespective of their affiliations.

Todays attack is again a grim reminder for the JK government to take concrete measures for the safety and security of political workers, who put their lives at risk for the strengthening of the democratic process in this part of the world.

Security of their lives should be of paramount importance and priority for any dispensation, which is at the helm of affairs, he remarked.