BJP workers’ killing pained us, those responsible should be neutralised: Ram Madhav

M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 12

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary Ram Madhav on Sunday said the recent killings of three party workers in North Kashmir’s Banidpora district had pained them and those responsible for the act should be neutralised.

“The act committed by terrorists has definitely pained us a lot. We have come here to give some immediate help to the family. All BJP leaders of the country stand by the (bereaved) family in this difficult situation. Those who are responsible for the act should be neutralised….our workers should also get adequate security….this is also our demand,” Madhav told reporters after visiting the family of slain party workers in Bandipora.

Former BJP district president Bandipora, Wasim Bari and his father Bashir Ahmad and brother Umar Bari, who also were party workers, were killed in a militant attack on Wednesday.

MoS PMO Jitender Singh, BJP national vice-president Avinash Rai Khanna and J&K president Ravinder Raina also paid condolence to the bereaved family. A cheque worth Rs 10 lakh was handed over as ‘immediate relief’ to the family by Singh.

Bari, as per the BJP, had played a key-role in attracting the youth towards the party striving to firm its footholds in the Valley.

Even as the BJP had never won an Assembly or parliamentary election in the Valley, the party won over 100 seats in 2018 municipal elections amid a boycott by the National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party.

Earlier, Raina had said the Pakistan-backed militants were finding it “hard to digest” the “growing popularity” of the BJP in the Valley.

“We will not get bogged down by such attacks as our workers are like tigers. The popularity of BJP is growing in Kashmir day after day and Pakistan is finding this hard to digest.”