5 Civilians Killed In Jammu And Kashmir Since August 5 Lockdown, Says Indian Army

For the first time since August 5 lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 by the Narendra Modi government, the Indian Army on Wednesday gave an exact number of civilian casualties in the region. According to a top military commander, five people were killed in Jammu and Kashmir in last 30 days. This is the first time that there has been any official statement by the Indian administration. On August 5, putting an end to all wild speculations and online and offline rumours, the Narendra Modi government had revoked the Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Last month on August 30th, a 65-year-old man was killed by terrorists in the Parimpora area on the outskirts of Srinagar City. He was a shopkeeper and reportedly killed for keeping his shop open. Earlier, a truck driver was targeted and killed in Bijbehara in Anantnag district by stone-pelting criminals. ‘Asrar Ahmad Khan who was hit by a stone on August 6 was admitted in Soura has lost his life today. This makes it the 5th civilian death in last 30 days and these deaths have happened because of terrorists, stone pelters and puppets of Pakistan,’ Lt General KJS Dhillon said during the presser on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had told a delegation from Jammu and Kashmir that the communication clampdown in the Valley will be lifted in 15 days. Shah also announced Rs 2 lakh insurance for all panchs and sarpanchs. "We had a good meeting with the Home Minister, he assured us about our concerns," CNN News18 quoted Manoj Pandita, a sarpanch from Pulwama, as saying. "On the communication blockade, we have been that it will be lifted in 10-15 days," he added.

Shah and its working president JP Nadda also met former Jammu and Kashmir governor Jagmohan, known for his nationalists views on Kashmir, as part of the party's outreach to leading members of the society over the Centre's move to revoke provisions of Article 370.

The BJP has embarked on a month-long 'Sampark and Janjagran Abhiyan' to seek people's support on the government's decision to end Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 of the Constitution, with its leaders and workers asked to fan out across the country to hold meetings.

"Met Shri Jagmohan Malhotra ji, former Governor of Jammu & Kashmir as part of BJP's nationwide Sampark and Janjagran Abhiyaan, to spread awareness about the benefits of abrogating Article 370 & 35A, a historic decision, by PM Shri Narendra Modi ji," tweeted Shah, who is also the Union home minister.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan accompanied Shah and Nadda to the meeting.

Shah's decision to launch the contact and public awareness campaign by meeting 91-year-old Jagmohan, a hardliner on the Kashmir issue, holds significance as he had long been a vocal critic of the special status given to the state and had called for tough measures against militants and separatists.

His two terms as governor, first from 1984 to 1989 and then for a few months in 1990, when terrorism had erupted in the Valley, had drawn admiration and criticism, especially for his tough response to separatist violence, alike.

Politicians from the Valley often panned him for his alleged harsh measures but he also drew praise from many quarters for his no-nonsense approach and push for infrastructure development.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Indian Army says that the civilians were killed due to ‘Pakistani puppets’.
• Earlier, a truck driver was killed in Bijbehara in Anantnag district.
• Communication lockdown in J-K will be lifted in 15 days, govt has said.