A senior political worker associated with ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (PDP) was killed by suspected terrorists inside his vehicle in south Kashmir’s Rajpora township on Wednesday afternoon as Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti described it a ‘cowardly act’.
The association of the slain activist Gulam Nabi Patel mired in controversy as Mufti described him a Congress activist while the Congress said that he had closed ranks with the party to join the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The National Conference (NC) president Omar Abdullah took umbrage over the claims and offered that the slain be called as his party (National Conference) member “so his death is not in vain”.
Police said that militants fired upon a Scorpio vehicle at Rajpura chowk in which Ghulam Nabi Patel, a resident of Dangerpora Shadimarg and two policemen got injured. The police spokesman said that Ghulam Nabi Patel succumbed to his injuries in the fatal attack.
Patel had two personal security officers--Imtiyaz Ahmad Zargar and Bilal Ahmad Mir—in his vehicle when it came under a volley of fire. Patel was hit in his face and died on the spot, eyewitnesses said.
“A case has been registered and investigations have been taken up,” a police spokesman said.Patel has been working with the pro-India political parties for more than two decades and contested assembly elections several times. Off late, he was associated with ruling BJP but did not hold any position in the party ranks.
Mehbooba Mufti in a twitter message offered condolences to the slain activist’s family and described him as Congress worker. “Heartfelt condolences to the family of senior Congress leader, G. N. Patel who was killed by militants today in Rajpora. Such cowardly acts achieve nothing but leave one more family devastated,” she tweeted.
However, Congress party in a statement described Patel as a PDP worker. In a statement, a Congress spokesman “strongly condemned the killing of PDP activist” saying the killings, in any form, are highly condemnable and must be condemned by every section of the people. The party expressed “profound grief and sorrow over the killing and described it as highly shameful and dastardly act.”
legislator and senior Congress leader Gulam Nabi Monga said that Patel had quit Congress and joined the PDP but “had joined some other party later”. However, a BJP spokesman said that Patel had joined the party a year ago but was not holding any party post.
The conflict over the association of the slain activist encouraged former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to criticize the parties for disowning him.
“How tragic that Patel Sahib, a political worker assassinated by militants in Kashmir is being disowned by both the PDP & Congress. If neither party is willing to own him as one of their own let’s just call him a NC worker so his death is not in vain,” the National Conference leader tweeted.