Killers of PDP worker identified: Police

Panic grips political activists in Kashmir 

NL Correspondent

SRINAGAR: As the recent killings of political workers have triggered a panic in Kashmir, police on Tuesday said it has identified the militants who attacked and threatened the party activists of mainstream parties.

For the last 10 days, at least three people associated with the NC and the PDP have been killed in Pulwama and Shopian districts of south Kashmir.

On April 15, a PDP worker was killed while another was injured when suspected militants opened fire upon them at Rajpora area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district. The next day, the lawyer associated with the National Conference was shot dead in Shopian.

On Monday, the PDP's Pulwama president was shot dead by the gunmen. Before that, the gunmen had barged into houses of several political workers and asked them to stay away from their political activities.

Similarly, a pro-government gunman who was killed at his home in  Hajin, Bandipora last week.

SSP Pulwama, Muhammad Rayees Bhat, said the police have “identified the militants” who were behind attacks on political workers.

“These militants have not been arrested so far,” the SSP Pulwama said.

He said the underground workers of militant groups have also been identified, who had “threatened mainstream party workers to resign”.

When asked that scores of workers of mainstream parties have gone into hiding,  fearing for life, he replied, “Whenever we get to know any worker is facing threat,  we provide them security in the form of PSOs and guards and also providing security in their homes. But wherever there is the militancy, the attacks and threats on workers do happen.”

Several videos have gone viral on social networking sites wherein some workers of mainstream political parties are seen tendering an apology and dissociating themselves from the mainstream parties.

Such acts have triggered panic among political workers, who are quivering with fear.

Scores of party workers according to sources have gone into hiding.

“The killings and threats have created a panic among all workers of mainstream parties of south Kashmir. I am living in a relative's house for the last several days,” a PDP worker of Pulwama said. He said his family was worried about his security.  He said the killing of political workers has raised security concerns among political workers in south Kashmir.

A PDP leader of Shopian said the political workers were worried for their safety. “For the last three weeks, I spent only five nights at my home. The rest of time I spent in my friends and relatives homes,” he said, who was actively participating in party activities a month ago.

Shabbir Bhatt, President of the BJP's Pulwama wing has been reportedly changing locations for the last two weeks. He told a national TV channel that he was undeterred in his support of the party. “The threat of violence first pushed the campaign underground, and now has brought it to a grinding halt,” he has been quoted by the new channel.