BJP leader shot at by militants in Valley, 3rd such attack in a week

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 9

In the third such attack in less than a week, a BJP leader was injured when suspected militants fired at him in central Kashmir's Budgam district this morning.

The police said unidentified militants fired at 38-year-old Abdul Hamid Najar, while he was out for a morning walk near a railway crossing at Ompora. Najar, BJP's OBC Morcha Budgam district president, was immediately taken to hospital.

“He was shifted to a hospital in Srinagar where his condition is stated to be stable,” a police officer said. “He was allotted a secured accommodation at Budgam from where he slipped away,” he added. The militant managed to flee after the incident.

There have been a series of attacks on BJP workers in the past one month that have left four party men dead and two wounded.

On August 4, BJP leader Arif Ahmad was critically wounded when militants fired at him at Akhran Kulgam. On August 6 morning, Sajad Ahmad Khanday, a sarpanch affiliated with the BJP, was shot dead outside his residence at Vessu Kulgam.

Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina said, “Those involved in such attacks have neither escaped death in the past nor will they save their lives in future... We will not allow safe havens to terrorists and will make Kashmir free of terrorism.” (With PTI inputs)