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.


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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:



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:



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.





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)