Jammu: A three-year-old child succumbed to injuries he sustained after suspected militants lobbed a grenade on the residence of a BJP leader in Rajouri, officials said Friday.
Seven members of BJP leader Jasbir Singh’s family were injured after “terrorists lobbed a grenade at his house in Rajouri district’s Khandli area on Thursday night. The grenade exploded on the rooftop,” police said.
The three-year-old boy, Veer, who was among the injured, died during treatment at the government medical college hospital in Rajouri around midnight, they said.
The body been handed over to the family for last rites, they said.
The BJP strongly condemned the attack and appealed to the police to immediately arrest those responsible for it. The incident triggered protests by locals and the BJP leader’s kin who alleged Singh was not provided enough security.
Singh was also injured in the attack.
Soon after the attack, police and security force conducted searches in and around the town.
Terming the incident an act of cowardice, J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina said “terror attacks on BJP leaders were being orchestrated by Pakistan”.
“We strongly condemn the attack. Police should immediately arrest the terrorists responsible for it,” he said.
Meanwhile, a shutdown was observed in Rajouri town today to protest the attack.
Scores of people, some of them BJP workers, also took out a protest rally denouncing the attack. They raised anti-Pakistan slogans.
All shops were shut and there was no traffic on roads on Friday in Rajouri town.
Agitators blocked a highway on a call by the Sanatan Dharam Sabha, but police managed to prevent them from going too far ahead.
Protesters blamed chinks in the security apparatus for the attack.
