CitysIndiaJammuJammu & Kashmir (Srinagar-S*, Jammu-W*)Union Territories

The assassination of a Kashmiri Pandit has sparked uproar throughout J&K.

The targeted killing of yet another Kashmiri Pandit in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district sparked a new round of protests in the union territory on Monday, with political parties criticising the government for asserting that normalcy has returned to the region and members of the community calling for the removal of lieutenant governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha.

Sanjay Sharma, a Kashmiri Pandit and resident of Achan in Pulwama, was killed murdered by terrorists on his way to a local market on Sunday. Hundreds of Kashmiris gathered for his funeral. The 45-year-old bank security guard died in the hospital due to his injuries.

Many community members assisted Sharma’s family with the final ceremonies. Many high-ranking police authorities, including additional director general of police (Kashmir zone) Vijay Kumar, visited the region and assessed the current state of law and order.

“I do not wish to remain. I fear they will also kill me. Where will my three children then go? Who will be responsible for our care now?” Sunita, Sharma’s wife, inquired.

The assassination on Sunday was the most recent in a string of attacks on civilians and members of the Pandit community, forcing many to flee their homes.

The Dogra Front, a Jammu-based organisation comprised of social, religious, and political groups working for the rights of the Dogras, held a rally in Pulwama, demanding that the offenders be brought to justice and punished severely.

“We are demonstrating and demanding harsh punishment for those responsible for the murder of Sanjay Sharma. “We ask the L-G to arrest the accused,” a local citizen who wished to remain anonymous remarked.

Another citizen, who also wished to remain anonymous, stated, “We’ve always lived in harmony in Jammu and Kashmir, and today we oppose the murder of Sanjay Sharma. Regardless of the religion or caste of the murder victims, justice must be done.”

Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS), a significant Pandit organisation in the Valley, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union interior minister Amit Shah to replace L-G Sinha.

“KPSS most humbly with folded hands request Hon’ble Prime Minister and Hon’ble Home Minister to rest their personal agendas and self-conceit and take the issue seriously and replace the current Lt. Governor immediately for letting the Kashmiri Pandits to be killed by the militants for some vested agenda and vendetta to malign the ruling political party at the national and international level,” the organisation said in a statement.

It further stated that an order should be issued “to launch a harsh operation against militants and their allies in order to protect the lives of innocent Kashmiri Pandits and other religious minorities residing in the Kashmir valley.”

In the Valley, the administration should “stop toying with the situation in Kashmir and endangering the lives of Kashmiri Pandits and other religious minorities,” according to the report.

While Yatish Yadav, the L-media G’s adviser, did not answer to HT’s calls and texts on the subject, Sinha vowed to punish those responsible for Sharma’s murder.

“This is a very tragic occurrence. There are no enough words to condemn the murder. “Our security forces will take care of whoever is responsible,” he told reporters.

Despite the fact that such instances can cause people to question the security situation, he stated that the administration and security personnel were employing a “360-degree approach.”

Political parties condemned the administration in light of the murder.

Mehbooba Mufti, president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), criticised the government’s claim that normalcy had been restored in the union territory.

“The administration asserts that militancy has gone. Who killed him (Sharma) if this were the case? What are the government’s actions?” After visiting Sharma’s residence, she remarked.

“The government should provide his widow a job. She continued, “Because many people of the community work here, they must be provided with adequate protection or they will go.”

The BJP also condemned the murder and conducted demonstrations in Srinagar and the town of Baramulla in north Kashmir.

President of the J&K BJP Ravinder Raina, along with party leaders Sofi Yousaf and Altaf Thakur, visited Sharma’s home and pledged the family of government help. He stated, “His (Sharma’s) murder is barbaric and a grave evil that must be denounced.”

In Jammu, the Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal also organised protests, blaming the L-G administration and the Centre for their “failure” to stop the killing of minority community members in the Valley.

Ashok Gupta, president of the Shiv Sena and Dogra Front, stated, “I firmly condemn the heinous terrorist attack on Sanjay Sharma.”

Rakesh Bajrangi, chairman of the Bajrang Dal in Jammu and Kashmir, stated, “The killings of defenceless, unarmed minority members continue unabated, notwithstanding the government’s assurances of normalcy.”

Employees of KP maintain their demand for relocation to Jammu.

Monday, Kashmiri Pandit employees hired under the PM’s employment package reaffirmed their demand for relocation to Jammu’s safer environs.

Despite repeated guarantees, the government has not been able to stop the murdering of Pandits in the Valley. The murder of Sharma has once again instilled terror among the employees, according to Rohit Bhat, one of the demonstrators.

Another employee, Anil Pandita, stated, “The government’s claims about normalcy and safety for us are a farce.”

(With agency inputs)

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