Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 9: Several political leaders today condemned the killing of three unarmed civilians in Kathua district, while demanding justice for the family members of the deceased and thorough investigation into the incident to bring the perpetrators to the book.
In a statement, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti condemned the killings, expressing her concern about the growing communal tensions in the area over the recent past.
She described the situation as “deeply alarming” and pointed out that both Hindus and Muslims had fallen victim to targeted killings in recent months.
Mufti suggested that elements both within and across the border could be fuelling these tensions and called for a swift investigation to bring the true culprits to justice.
Several senior Congress leaders, including former MP Choudhary Lal Singh, who were barred from meeting the family members of the deceased persons in Billawar, also condemned the killings.
Interacting with the reports in Kathua district, Choudhary Lal Singh said that this is for the first time that such a situation had emerged in the the town and it reflects the alleged failure of the Home Ministry which is directly controlling the law and order situation in J&K.
“We demand an inquiry to identify the culprits and compensation of Rs 10 lakh and a Government job for the families of the deceased,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Youth Congress general secretary Anirudh Sawhney also condemned the killings, calling them a tragic reflection of the growing terrorism in the region.
Sawhney called for a comprehensive strategy to address the security challenges in Jammu and Kashmir and demanded immediate action to prevent such attacks in the future.
Sunil Dimple, the President of the Mission Statehood movement, led a rally in Kathua to protest against the killings.
Dimple’s rally was characterized by the burning of effigies of Pakistan’s Prime Minister and other Pakistani militant leaders.
Addressing the rally, Dimple warned Pakistan of severe consequences, declaring that the blood of the three victims would be avenged.
He also demanded a thorough investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the killings in Basohli and Billawar.
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