Army stages flag march in Jammu after BJP state leader shot dead

The Army on Friday staged a flag march in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar town where curfew was imposed after a senior BJP leader and his brother were killed by suspected terrorists Thursday night, officials said.

District Magistrate Kishtwar Angrez Singh Rana said the situation was tense but under control. “The Army staged a flag march in Kishtwar town in order to maintain law and order,” District Magistrate Kishtwar Angrez Singh Rana told PTI.

Killing of BJP state secretary Anil Parihar and his brother in J&K’s Kishtwar is an act of cowardice. It is an extremely deplorable act. This is an attempt to derail the peace process in the region. My thoughts & prayers are with the family of Shri Parihar.

— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) November 2, 2018

Internet services were suspended in Jammu following the murder of BJP’s J&K state secretary Anil Parihar, 52 and his brother Ajit Parihar 55 on Thursday night. Anil Parihar and his brother were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Kishtwar district on Thursday.

Internet services have been suspended in Kishtwar too.The deputy commissioner has also ordered imposition of curfew in the district.

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“Curfew has been strictly imposed. Situation is under control now. Forces are deployed. Internet services suspended. SP has been asked to form an SIT,”  the deputy commissioner told ANI.

Confirming the incident, SSP Kishtwar, Rajinder Gupta told India Today that a hunt is on to nab the assailants. “We are investigating as to who is behind the killings,” Gupta said. Following the incident, the BJP workers had started protests in many parts of Kishtwar and Baderwah area of Doda district.

A joint team of Army and Special Operations Group has launched a massive search operation in the area.

The BJP had recently emerged as a clear winner in the Jammu Municipal Corporation elections held in October with 43 seats in the 75-member body.

In rest of the 446 wards spread across Jammu region covering a total of 36 municipal committees and councils, the BJP had an edge over its rivals in 15 bodies followed by Independents in 12 and the Congress in five.

Both the major regional parties – National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party had boycotted the polls.