Political Tussle Between BJP And Cong Over Kashmir's Slain Sarpanch; Tharoor Links Killing To 'Cong Mukt Bharat'

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor claims that congress workers such as the slain Jammu and Kashmir Sarpanch Ajay Pandita are being killed for standing up for secularism and democracy. BJP leader Kapil Mishra has called for a worldwide protest against the murder of the sarpanch.

Shashi Tharoor

New Delhi: In a series of Tweets Congress MP Shashi Tharoor lashed out against the killing of Congress Sarpanch Ajay Pandita in Jammu and Kashmir and said that ‘Congressmen are being killed from Kashmir to Kerala for standing up for secularism & democracy’. He also blamed the lack of police protection for making Pandita a vulnerable target. In a tweet, he wrote that the Sarpanch was ‘asking for police protection for long but he did not get it because he was a Congress Sarpanch.'

And to all those who are issuing pious bromides about terrorists killing Indians & this having nothing to do with Congress, please remember the sarpanch was asking for police protection for long but he did not get it because he was a Congress sarpanch. @INCIndia

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) June 12, 2020

“Congressmen are being killed from Kashmir to Kerala for standing up for secularism & democracy,” he tweeted. Without taking the name of the BJP, he said those against the ‘idea of India’ are calling for a ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’. “The message is clear: “Congress-mukt Bharat” is what all enemies of the Idea of India want,” the Thiruvananthapuram MP said. Forty-year-old Ajay Pandita was allegedly shot dead by unidentified terrorists in his native village of Larkipora in south Kashmir''s Anantnag district on Monday. According to a report by PTI, he was the sarpanch of the Lukbawan panchayat halqa in Larkipora area. Soon after, the terrorist group The Resistance Front (TRF) which is an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility for it. The assassination of the elected representatives has instilled fear and resentment among other Panchayat leaders in the area. "The 2018 panchayat election was a very good initiative taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and we came forward to lend our support to it despite the terrorist threats and the vulnerable situation in Kashmir. We also did not do any favour by taking part in the election but the priority should have been the security of those contesting the elections at the grave risk to their lives," said Manoj Pandita, a sarpanch from halqa Lajoora in Kakapora block of Pulwama district in a PTI report. According to a report by IANS, Niyanta Pandita daughter of Ajay Pandita said that after a Sarpanch was killed in November last year her father had demanded security from the government as he was concerned about his family. She said that the lack of security did not deter him from his work. In contrast to Tharoor’s statement, she said in the report that her father was not dependent on any party. "He was the son of the nation. He doesn't belong to any party," said Niyanta Pandita in the report. Meanwhile, BJP leader Kapil Mishra has also raised his voice against the killing of Pandita and has called for a worldwide protest against the murder of the sarpanch. He has tweeted about the call for a protest which will take place on Sunday, June 14, and asked supporters to upload photos and videos with #HinduUnitedAgainstTerror. In a series of tweets about the call for the protest, he has asked for unity against terrorism in Kashmir. He has also said in another tweet that 'World will witness amazing unity among Hindus against murder of #AjayPandita'.

14 June Global Protest Against Murder of #AjayPandita

Confirmations from - Bahrain Chicago Doha Dubai Houston Kathmandu London Moscow New York Paris Doha Seattle Singapore Sydney Toronto Washington Zambia + many more cities & 50 + cities in India इस बार चुप नहीं रहना pic.twitter.com/8P8ix9H9Ao — Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) June 11, 2020

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