'Political activist' Ghulam Nabi Patel shot dead by terrorists in J&K's Pulwama

Four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists were gunned down on Tuesday in a fierce encounter that had broken out in the forest area in the Pulwama district in J&K.

Pic courtesy: ANI

Srinagar: A 'political activist' Ghulam Nabi Patel was shot dead by terrorists in Pulwama's Rajpora in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday. His vehicle was fired upon when he was coming to Pulwama from Yader. He later succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital.

Patel's two personal security officers also sustained injuries. Patel was a resident of Shadimarg area.

Meanwhile, the ruling PDP and opposition Congress were locked in a row over the party affiliation of the victim.

J&K Congress leader, Salman Anees Soz, said, "In a despicable attack, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Patel was shot dead in Rajpora, Kashmir. My deepest condolences to his family. His two PSOs are battling injuries. Please keep them in your prayers."

Later he posted another tweet, saying:

Ghulam Nabi Patel sahib was associated both with Congress (earlier) & PDP (in recent years). What is important is that another political activist has been targeted. His loss impacts all political parties in Kashmir. May he rest in peace. https://t.co/6VjG4DQ7EE — Salman Anees Soz (@SalmanSoz) April 25, 2018

A Congress party spokesperson, while strongly condemning the killing, said in a statement Patel was a 'well-known PDP activist', PTI reported. In a statement, Anwar Bhat, vice president of the state's Congress unit, 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.

On the other hand, expressing condolence, J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti called him a Congress leader and tweeted:

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. — Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) April 25, 2018

National Conference leader and former J&K CM Omar Abdullah waded into the row, saying if neither PDP nor Congress was willing to own Patel as one of their own, he could be called an NC worker.

The Congress and the PDP were not keen on owning the killed leader as their own to avoid conveying to their workers that they were at risk, he claimed.

What terrible news to start the day with here. My heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased & prayers for the injured. Allah Jannat naseeb karay. https://t.co/IP1A5Z25yY — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 25, 2018

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. — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 25, 2018

Ghulam Nabi Patel is being denied the dignity of having been assassinated for belonging to a political party just so the PDP & Congress can lie to their workers to claim they aren’t at risk from militant bullets. — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 25, 2018

Patel 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.

(With Agency inputs)