Hurriyat office vandalised in Srinagar over targeted killing of Kashmiri Pandits
The All Parties Hurriyat’s office was vandalised in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, on Monday during protests against killing of Kashmiri Pandits in the valley. A mass agitation has erupted in the valley ever since the killing of Puran Krishan Bhat in Shopian district last week.
Bhat, a fruit cultivator, was attacked near his home in the Chowdhary Gund area of Shopian district on Saturday morning. He was rushed to the local hospital where doctors declared him dead. The Kashmir Freedom Fighter (KFF) group, the proxy name of a terrorist group, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.
Demonstrators have been calling for a stop to the ”bloodshed” and reiterating the demands of Pandit employees to be relocated from the region temporarily. A massive candlelight vigil was held in Shopian. Similar marches were held in Srinagar, Bandipora, Baramulla, Ganderbal and Budgam districts.
Protesting against the killing of Kashmiri Pandit Puran Krishan Bhat by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian on Saturday, a group of people carrying national flags removed the sign board of the All Party Hurriyat Conference at Rajbagh in Srinagar on Monday and threatened to hold protests outside the Pakistan Embassy in New Delhi.
Most of the prominent Hurriyat Conference leaders are either in jail or under house arrest, including its chairman Molvi Umar Farooq, who is under house arrest at his Nageen residence, though police claim that he is free to move anywhere. The office, where the protest was held on Monday, has not been in use by the Hurriyat since 2018. However, it was the party headquarter where all big meetings used to take place.
“The people of Kashmir are against such killings which is being done at the behest of Pakistan and their accomplices,” said Javeed Baig, one of the protestors. He said they will hold protest outside Pakistan Embassy in New Delhi and the United Nations office. “Today’s protest should open the eyes of Pakistan and Hurriyat leaders”
Baig said Islam always spreads the message of humanity. “They (Hurriyat) have been only doing lip service by issuing statements. They should have held protest against these killings.”
The protest was carried out under the banner of “Aakhar Kab Tak” and protestors were holding placards against the killing of Kashmiri pandit. “Today’s protest is aimed at sending a strong message to them (Hurriyat sympathisers) they too should come out and hold protests against the killings of Kashmiri pandits and other innocent people,” said another protestor.
Later, some people who were part of the protest brought down the big sign board of the Hurriyat office.
Soon after the killing, Hurriyat in a statement had condemned the killing of Puran Kuman.
Since Saturday there have been scores of protests, organised by NGOs, civilians and members of the BJP, across Kashmir against the killing of the Kashmiri Pandit.
On Sunday, the biggest candle light vigil was held in the southern district of Shopian, where people gathered around the main tower Shopian.
Puran Krishan Bhat, a fruit grower, was shot dead near his residence in the Chowdhary Gund area of the Shopian district on Saturday morning.
Deputy inspector general of police (DIG), south Kashmir, Sujit Kumar said terror outfit Kashmir Freedom Fighters (KFF) has claimed responsibility for the attack. In August, Sunil Kumar Bhat , 48, a fruit farmer, was shot dead and his cousin brother, Pitambar, injured when terrorists opened fire on them in their orchard in the same district.
Earlier in the day, former Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) chief minister and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah said targeted killings would not stop in the region unless New Delhi talks to Islamabad, similar to its interactions with China to resolve the border issue in Ladakh.
He added that people are still dying even after the special status of Kashmir was taken by the BJP-led government at the Centre.
“Targeted killings would not stop unless they [India and Pakistan] hold talks. They [BJP] earlier held Article 370 (of the Constitution) responsible for the killings and other ills… It has been four years since Article 370 was revoked (in August 2019), but still people are dying,” said Abdullah after offering condolences to the family of a party colleague.
He said Puran Krishan Bhat, an innocent Kashmiri Pandit, should not have died if Article 370 was to blame for such killings. “There must be some reason. Article 370 was not responsible for killings because terrorism is being sponsored from outside.”
