Rahul Bhat killed, Omar Abdullah & Mehbooba's PDP won't mention Hinduphobia or Terrorists

As the killing of Hindus continues in the Kashmir Valley with Chadoora Tehsil office clerk Rahul Bhat being murdered on Thursday, prominent parties like National Conference (NC) and People's Democratic Party (PDP) are shying away from acknowledging, let alone outrightly condemning the Hinduphobia prevalent in Jammu and Kashmir.

After Bhat was pronounced dead, NC's Omar Abdullah took to his official Twitter handle to condemn the 'murderous militant attack' on him. Abdullah turning a blind eye to the fact that he was a Hindu, a Kashmir Pandit, highlighted how he was a government employee working in the Tehsil office in Chadoora, where he was attacked. "Targeted killings continue & a sense of fear grows unchecked—my heartfelt condolences to Rahul’s family. RIP," the NC leader further wrote on the microblogging site, not clarifying in any way who was responsible for the climate of fear he alludes to, or opposing the terrorists in as many words. 

Mehbooba Mufti tight-lipped, spokesperson condemns incident

While PDP's Mehbooba Mufti was quick to respond to the crisis in Sri Lanka, she has yet not responded to the killing of the Kashmiri Pandit in her own country, her own region. However, PDP's spokesperson Verinder Singh spoke to Republic on the terror attack that unfolded in Budgam. "We condemn this killing. This cycle of killing is unending; targeted killing is being carried out...The Centre government claimed that all is well but selective killings are going on." He did not mention terrorists.

Rahul Bhat was shot at by two terrorists while he was working at the Tehsildar's office in the Chadoora village. He was critically injured and was been shifted to a local hospital- SMHS Hospital, Srinagar for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries. He worked at the Tehsildsar office as a clerk, implementing the PM's package for Kashmiri Pandits.

The incident comes not even a month after two motorcycle-borne terrorists opened fire at a Kashmiri Pandit shopkeeper in the Chotogam area of South Kashmir's Shopian district. The victim, identified as Sonu Kumar, survived the attack. The series of targeted killings started in the month of October 2021. Mostly outsiders, especially Hindus have been the target.