Attack on BJP worker in Budgam follows resignations citing ‘personal reasons’

Srinagar: Hours after the attack on a Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) worker in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, five party workers of the same district, have announced their resignation citing ‘personal reasons’.

The party members of Budgam who resigned today include Constituency President for Char-i-Sharif, Wali Mohammad Bhat, who according to the announcement letter, resigned along with his team members, Sameer Ahmed Shah, son of Ghulam Mohhidin Shah, a resident of Humhame, District Office Secretary, Avtar krishan, General Secretary, Ghulam Hassan Ganai Municipal Councilor Magam and Imran Ahmed Parray, son of Noorudin, a resident of Dooniwari Chadoora, who was working as District General Secretary Mahila Morcha Budgam.

All the five members who announced their resignations through handwritten letters were working within the district with multiple designations.

On Sunday morning, suspected militants fired upon a BJP District President for central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

Official sources said that militants fired upon a BJP District President Budgam identified as Abdul Hamid Najar, son of Jamal Najar, a resident of Moheindpora Budgam, leaving him critically injured. However, he is said to stable now.

They said militants fired upon Najar, who had joined the party a few months ago, near the railway station when he was on a morning walk.

One of the Najar’s acquaintances, Shabir Ahmad Sheikh, told Free Press Kashmir that at around 5:30, in the morning, he heard some voice following which he rushed outside and found Najar critically injured with blood all over his body.

In the incident, Najar had received bullet injuries in his abdomen and was subsequently shifted to SMHS hospital for the treatment.

Soon after the incident, JK Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary (Organisation) Ashok Koul wrote to party’s national president J P Nadda seeking safe accommodation for the party leaders in every district of Kashmir and urged workers and leaders not to come out without security cover.

“The issue is that there was a safe accommodation for our workers in Ompora, but unfortunately there was no food arrangement for them. I met Deputy Commissioner Anantnag yesterday and discussed the issue, he told me that there are no funds for providing food for the BJP leaders if lodged in separate safe accommodation,” Koul told a local news agency KNO following the attack in Budgam.

Asked whether he had discussed the issue with the party chief J P Nadda, Koul said he spoke to the party president and has also written a letter to him seeking safe accommodations for party workers and leaders in each district of Kashmir.

“We don’t want our leaders, workers and activists to become an easy catch for militants. There should be a building in each district where 50 to 60 BJP workers, activists and leaders would be accommodated. The building should be provided fool-proof security cover and every single worker or a leader should go out along with proper security cover,” Koul said.

Meanwhile, BJP JK spokesman Altaf Thakur said that providing safe accommodations to the workers and leaders of BJP is need of the hour. “All the safe accommodations at district level should have security cover. No worker should venture out without personal security cover and without informing the purpose of his/her visit to the concerned police station,” Thakur said.

BJP’s Media Incharge, Manzoor Bhat echoed similar concerns and said the only way to protect the workers, leaders and activists is to keep them in safe accommodation at their own district headquarters. “They should not come out unnecessarily,” he said.

It is pertinent to mention that in the past six days, three BJP workers were attacked by the suspected militants of which one died and two are battling for life.

Earlier on August 7, after suspected militants killed a Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) Sarpanch in Qazigund area of Kulgam district on Thursday, several BJP members and political workers resigned from the party fearing reprisal from militants for being in affiliation with the political party.

A day earlier, at least seven BJP workers from Kulgam and Anantnag resigned from the party seeking forgiveness from people which include BJP’s District Secretary for Kulgam Nisar Ahmed Mir, a resident of Kellem, District General Secretary Shahzad Ahmad Bhat of Chowgam, party workers Mohammad Ayoub Ganai, a resident of Banghal Kulgam and Gull Mohammad Ganai, a native of Chandien Kulgam, Party worker Shabir Rasool Khan, Party worker Reyaz Aziz Rather and Party worker Khaliq Subhan Sheikh, all residents of Narupora Watnard Tehsil Kokernag.