Frustrated over the spreading footprints of BJP in Kashmir Valley, terrorists have started selective killings of talented leaders of the Saffron Party.
As many as 23 BJP leaders have been killed by terrorists during the last two years in Kashmir Valley. Now the biggest challenge before BJP leadership is to revive the shattered confidence among fear-stricken workers of Kashmir Valley, where the party is trying to create its own space.
A local news agency reported that during the last year, seven BJP workers were killed in South Kashmir's Kulgam district alone.
In the last ten days, four persons including a minor son of a BJP leader were killed in three separate attacks on BJP leaders. The latest killing took place on Tuesday when terrorists killed BJP's constituency in-charge Javaid Ahmed Dar, son of Mohammed Abdullah Dar, was shot dead in Brazloo, Kulgam.
Terrorists attacked BJP leader Jasbir Singh's house with a grenade on August 12 in the heart of Rajouri city. A toddler, who is the nephew of a BJP leader was killed in the attack.
On August 9, BJP Kishan Morcha District President Kulgam Ghulam Rasool and his wife Jawhara Banoo who was also a panch and affiliated with BJP belonging to Redwani Kulgam were killed by terrorists in Lal Chowk Anantnag.
On June 2, BJP leader and president MC Tral Rakesh Pandita was killed by terrorists in Tral. Nine BJP leaders, workers were killed in four months across Kashmir.
BJP workers in J&K targeted
Earlier on March 29 this year, terrorists killed a Block Development Council (BDC) member, a municipal councilor member, and his security guard in the Sopore area of North Kashmir's Baramulla district. BDC member Reyaz Ahmad was associated with the BJP.
On October 29, 2020, three BJP workers, including a local youth wing leader, were killed in a terror attack in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir. Three BJP workers, identified as Fida Hussain Yatoo, Umer Rashid Beigh, and Umer Ramzan Hajam, were killed by terrorists.
BJP leader, his father, and his brother were killed by terrorists on July 8, 2020, in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district. Sheikh Waseem Bari, a local BJP leader, and two members of his family were shot dead by terrorists in Kashmir's Bandipore district.
First-time Kashmiri youth served the party as 'Vistarak'
A good number of Kashmiri youth are joining BJP in the Valley. BJP had started 'Deen Dayal Upadhyay Vistarak Yojna' in J&K in the year 2016, for spreading its work in different parts of the J&K and to educate masses about the policies of the Central government.
Initially, 2260 short-term 'Vistaraks' were enrolled, out of which nearly 500 were Muslim youth including some women from the Valley. After dedicating tenures between 15 days to six months as BJP's 'full-timers' in different parts of J&K, these 'Vistaraks' had started normal political activities in their respective areas. But some activists volunteered to work as 'Vistaraks' till the next assembly polls.
Reports said that some Kashmiri youth are still working as Vistaraks in different parts of the Valley including South Kashmir-the hotbed of separatism and terrorism. 'Vistaraks' are full-timers of the party working at the grassroots level to educate people about BJP's policies and programmes.
