Bandipora, July 12: Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary Ram Madhav, Union Minister Jitendra Singh and other leaders on Sunday visited north Kashmir district of Bandipora to meet the family of BJP leader Sheikh Waseem Bari, who alongwith his father and brother were killed by militants last week.
Madhav demanded increased security for party workers and a swift action against those responsible for the killing of the BJP leader and his family members. “All BJP leaders stand with all over party leaders and workers at these difficult times in the valley. We have come here to offer condolences to the bereaved family,” Madhav told reporters here on Sunday.
The BJP General Secretary said that the killing of Bari has been painful for the party. “We appeal that the attackers must be tracked and killed,” he said.
Madhav said that they also demand increased and proper security to the party workers in J&K.
Later, Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), handed over a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to the family members of Bari.
Bari, his father Bashir Ahmad and brother Umer Bashir were shot dead by militants at their shop on Wednesday. Following the incident, 10 SPOs were dismissed and arrested by police for ‘negligence’.
Accepting that there was a security laps, the IGP on Thursday said all the 10 Personal Security Officers (PSOs), who were guarding BJP leader, have been dismissed and taken into custody.
Kumar, who on Thursday visited the site where the attack took place in Bandipora, told reporters that it was a pre-planned attack and could have been averted if security personnel would have been alert.
Kumar said that two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants, including a Pakistani national, involved in the killing of BJP leader, his father and brother late last night in north Kashmir district of Bandipora have been identified. “Two LeT militants, including a foreigner and a local identified as Abid, carried out the attack. The militant fired shot at the BJP leader and his brother and father from close range,” he said.
Answering a question if the security of leaders has to be revised, the IGP had said all leaders who have a threat have been provided with security.
However, he said, “The number of security force personnel assigned for security is not important. The important thing is how alert and brave a security personnel is.”
