Congress' Ashwani Handa blames L-G Sinha's admin for killings in J&K; seeks dismissal

After terrorists killed Manzoor Ahmad Bangroo, an Independent Sarpanch at the Goshbugh area of Pattan in Jammu Kashmir's Baramulla on Friday, Congress leader Ashwni Handa slammed J&K's  Lieutenant Governor and his administration for failing to control terrorism in the union territory.

Ashwani Handa on Friday said that claims made by J&K's Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on terrorism proved to be lies. His statement comes following the terrorist attack on Manzoor Ahmad Bangroo. Handa urged the central government to dismiss the Lieutenant Governor's administration. He also requested the government to give the responsibility for tackling terrorism in J&K to a credible person other than  Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

" All claims being made by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on terrorism proved to be lies. We appeal to Government to dismiss the Lieutenant Governor's administration and some credible person be given the responsibility to tackle terrorism," Ashwani Handa said in a video on Friday.

It is pertinent to mention that Handa has also blamed "The Kashmir Files" movie for a reported increase in targeted killings in Jammu and Kashmir. This came in wake of a recent attack on a civilian in the Kulgam district which resulted in his death on Wednesday evening. In a video message, the Congress leader can be seen directly accusing the film of an increase in attacks as he says that many outsiders in Kashmir have been targetted by selective killings further adding that the situation has gotten out of the hands of the government. 

'KFF' terrorist group claims responsibility for killing sarpanch

Hours after a Sarpanch was shot dead in North Kashmir, the 'Kashmir Freedom Fighters' group claimed responsibility. The letter released by the terrorist group mentions that its cadre shot dead Sarpanch Manzoor Bangroo in the Goushbugh Pattan region of Baramulla district in the Union Territory. The terrorists have also claimed that Bangroo was a "BJP Sarpanch", though the saffron party has categorically stated that he was an independent Sarpanch working for development on his own.

Soon after the shocking incident, Jammu and Kashmir's Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the terror attack on Sarpanch and has assured that those responsible shall be punished. L-G Sinha also extended his condolences to Bangroo's family. 

Increase in targeted killings in Kashmir

Notably, there has been a reported increase in civilian killings in Jammu and Kashmir where people especially from minority communities and from outside Jammu and Kashmir have been facing attacks in the recent past. As far as the figures are concerned, a total of 11 attacks were reported in 2017 followed by three attacks in 2018, six attacks in 2019, three in 2020, and 11 attacks in 2021.