Day after targeted killing, Pandits protest

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Jammu, August 17

A day after a Kashmiri Pandit, Sunil Bhat, was shot dead by terrorists in Shopian, members of the community held a massive protest in Jammu demanding transfer from the Valley.

Kashmiri Pandit employees, who fled the Valley and came to Jammu two months ago after a spate of targeted killings, also blocked the vital Tawi bridge that connects old city areas with the rest of Jammu.

The demonstration started at Dogra Chowk from where the protesters moved towards the Tawi bridge. They also raised slogans against the government for not being able to stop targeted killings of Hindus in Kashmir.

2 suspects identified

Srinagar: The killers of Sunil Kumar Bhat, a Kashmiri Pandit who was shot dead by terrorists in Shopian, have been identified and they will be given stringent punishment, Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbagh Singh said on Wednesday. “We have identified the two suspects who killed Bhat. Follow-up action is under way,” the DGP said. PTI

Sachin Kaul, one of the protesters, said, “Terrorists have decided that they will not let Hindus to stay in Kashmir. The government has not been able to provide any security to the community members working there.”

Over 5,000 Pandit youths have been provided employment under the PM Special Package for their rehabilitation in the Valley since 2010.

Manish Pandita, another employee, said Hindus were working in far off areas of Kashmir due to which they became an easy target for terrorists.