BJP councillor shot dead by militants in J&K's Pulwama
Srinagar, Jun 3: Militants shot dead a BJP councillor in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday night when he was visiting his friend's house in the Tral area of Pulwama district, officials said here.
A group of three militants opened indiscriminate fire at BJP leader Rakesh Pandita around 10.15 pm, a police spokesperson said, adding that his friend's daughter also suffered injuries and was hospitalised in a critical condition.
The attack was condemned by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and leaders cutting across party lines, including Mehbooba Mufti and Sajad Lone.
According to the police spokesperson, Pandita was a "protected person" and had been provided with two Personal Security Officers (PSOs) and a secured accommodation in Srinagar.
At the time of the incident, Pandita was without any PSO as he defied the standard operating procedure (SoP) and went to his native village in the south Kashmir district without his security.
Police have registered a case and investigation is in progress. Officers continue to work to establish the full circumstances of this terror crime, besides why he was without any security at the time of the incident, the spokesman said.
The area has been cordoned off and a search is going on to nab the attackers, he added.
Five BJP leaders were killed last year in a spate of targeted killings. After this, there was a review of the security arrangement and most of them had been provided with secured accommodation in Srinagar, the summer capital of the union territory.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the attack.
"Saddened to hear about the terror attack on the Councillor Shri Rakesh Pandita at Tral, Pulwama. I strongly condemn the attack. My condolences to the bereaved family in this time of grief," the LG said on his official Twitter handle.
Sinha also said "terrorists will never succeed in their nefarious designs" and those responsible for such heinous acts shall be brought to justice.
PDP president and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti expressed shock over the killing.
"Shocked to hear that BJP leader Rakesh Pandit has been shot dead by militants. These senseless acts of violence have brought only misery to J&K. My condolences to the family and may his soul rest in peace," she said in a tweet.
BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit General Secretary (Organisation) Ashok Koul condemned the killing of the party's councillor and termed it "barbaric".
He said the attack was a cowardly act by the militants and such acts will not bring down the morale of the BJP leadership on the ground.
"Those who are responsible for this will not be spared. The militants are targeting party workers and innocent civilians but they did not know that every person is ready to give sacrifice for this country," he said.
Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Lone in a tweet said the gun was a curse and the people of Kashmir had seen enough.
"Yet again gunmen attack a non-combatant. This gun is a curse. Just ponder. Since the day this menace came into Kashmir. What have we seen? In a nut shell total disempowerment of the Kashmiri. Dear gunmen. Can u please go back where u came from. We have had enough," he said.
The National Conference also condemned the killing of the BJP leader.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
