Srinagar, Apr 25: A political activist, Ghulam Nabi Patail, was killed and two policemen injured in a militant attack in Rajpora Chowk area in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district today, officials said.
Political parties promptly condemned the killing but confusion prevailed over Patail’s affiliation.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti condemned the killing describing Patail as a “senior Congress leader” while the Congress claimed he was a well-known PDP activist.
Giving details of the attack, a police official said three persons were injured when militants opened fire in the Rajpora Chowk area. One of the injured, a political activist identified as Ghulam Nabi Patail, resident of Shadimarg area, succumbed to injuries while being taken to a hospital, he added.
The other two injured, both policemen, were being treated upon at a hospital and their condition was said to be stable, the police official said.
He said government forces cordoned off the area and a hunt has been launched to nab the attackers.
Patail had contested the 2002 J&K Assembly elections on a Congress ticket but switched over to Socialist Democratic Party in 2008 Assembly elections. He did not contest the 2014 State polls.
“Heartfelt condolences to the family of senior Congress leader, G. N. Patel who was killed by militants today in Rajpora. Such cowardly acts achieve nothing but leave one more family devastated (sic),” Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is also the president of PDP, tweeted.
A Congress party spokesman, while strongly condemning the killing, said Patail was a “well-known PDP activist”.
The Congress spokesperson said the killings, in any form, were highly condemnable and must be condemned by every section of the people. He offered deepest condolences to the bereaved family.
Omar Abdullah raps PDP, Congress for ‘disowning’ him
Srinagar, Apr 25: Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticized the Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for what he said disowning political activist Ghulam Nabi Patail who was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Rajpora area of Pulwama.
Both the PDP and the Congress condemned the killing of Patail but stopping short of disowning him.
National Conference working president Omar Abdullah jumped into the fray, saying: “just call him NC worker so his death is not in vain”.
When the news of death of Patail spread in the afternoon, police issued a statement, saying militants had attacked a “civilian vehicle”.
Later, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti condemned the killing and describing him a “local Congress activist of Pulwama”. Congress party also issued a statement, saying they condemn the killing of a “PDP activist”.
Amid the confusion, Omar Abdullah took to micro blogging website, Twitter. “How tragic that Patel Sahib, a political worker assassinated by militants in Kashmir is being disowned by both the PDP & Congress. If neither party is willing to own him as one of their own let’s just call him a NC worker so his death is not in vain,” Abdullah wrote on Twitter.
