New Delhi: Protests took part in several parts of Jammu & Kashmir last night & today morning over killing of Rahul Bhat, a Kashmiri Pandit working in a government department. The 36-year-old Kashmiri Pandit was singled out of 5-7 staff in government office of Budgam district and killed in cold blood on Thursday.
A large number of Kashmiri Pandits came out of their transit camps to hold demonstration against targeted killings of the community members. They blocked roads, raised slogans and demanded answers from the administration for not providing them adequate security. They have reportedly threatened to resign en masse if government continues to ignore their plight.
Many videos of the protests by the community and slogan-shouting against government were also shared on social media. Members of the community also assembled at Rahul Bhat’s house to show solidarity with the family.
Budgam, J&K | Kashmiri Pandit govt employees & their families protest against killing of Chadoora Tehsil Office employee Rahul Bhat
If the Administration can lathicharge & tear gas the public, then could they not have caught the terrorist yesterday?: Aparna Pandit, a protester pic.twitter.com/oXAB5OKo5M
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2022
Rahul Bhat was appointed as clerk under special employment package for migrants in 2010-11 and was working in Budgam district for past 10 years. He was gunned down by terrorists, who barged into a Tehsil office of Chadoora town. He was rushed to nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
His body was taken to Jammu and last rites performed at Bantalab on Friday.
As of today, over 4,000 Kashmiri Pandits are living in transit camps in various parts of Kashmir. They were provided government jobs under a special employment package launched in 2010.
Rahul Bhat is the third Kashmiri Pandit to be killed in the past six months. The Kashmiri Pandits, who migrated to the valley as part of rehabilitation plan, are aggrieved and outraged over selective killing. In October last year, 7 civilians were killed in 5 days – including a Kashmiri Pandit, a Sikh & 2 migrant Hindus.
