Suspected militants shot and killed a local councilor in Indian-administered Kashmir, according to police. This is the latest in a string of deadly attacks targeting BJP politicians.
The killing of Rakesh Pandita was condemned by Kashmiri politicians from across party linesImage: picture-alliance/Zuma/Masrat Zahra
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A politician of India's ruling party was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Indian-administered Kashmir on Wednesday night, police said.
Rakesh Pandita, a municipal councilor and members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was visiting a friend in south Kashmir's Tral area when three militants opened fire, police said.
He was declared dead in a hospital while another woman, his friend's daughter, was critically wounded and was undergoing treatment, a police officer was quoted as saying by Indian news agency ANI.
Pandita has been provided a secured accommodation in the region's main city of Srinagar as well as two police guards, Kashmir police said in a statement.
However, he went to Tral, which was also his hometown, without his guards, they said.
"Area cordoned off and search is going on," Kashmir police said in a tweet.
Pandita's killing is the third attack targeting BJP members in the conflict-stricken region this year.
In March, militants stormed a local municipal council's office, killing two BJP councilors and a police officer.
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Widespread condemnation
Wednesday's attack was condemned by Kashmiri politicians from across party lines.
"Shocked to hear that BJP leader Rakesh Pandita has been shot dead by militants," said Mehbooba Mufti, a former chief minister of the erstwhile state, whose status was changed in 2019. "These senseless acts of violence have brought only misery to J&K [Jammu and Kashmir]. My condolences to the family & may his soul rest in peace."
"BJP councilor Rakesh Pandita joins a long list of mainstream politicians targeted and assassinated in Kashmir because of their association with electoral politics," said Omar Abdullah, another former chief minister. "I unequivocally condemn this attack & convey my heartfelt condolences to his family. May his soul rest in peace."
Manoj Sinha, New Delhi's administrator in the region, vowed action against the assailants responsible for the attack.
"Terrorists will never succeed in their nefarious designs, and those responsible for such heinous acts shall be brought to justice," he said on Twitter.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, and the two countries have fought three wars over it. Both countries control parts of the region but claim all of it.
Kashmir: Tourism rebound offers hope to businesses hit hard by lockdowns
Tourists are flocking to Kashmir's snow-filled resorts, as the region reels from an economic hit wrought by the COVID pandemic and New Delhi's harsh lockdown restrictions.
Image: Rifat Fareed/DW
Heavy tourist influx in 2021
The heavy influx of tourists this year has given new cheer to the people of India-administered Kashmir. It is a dramatic change for the tourism industry in the disputed region, which faced the double whammy of the coronavirus pandemic and harsh curbs on civil rights New Delhi imposed in the region in August 2019.
Image: Rifat Fareed/DW
Idyllic hill station
Located at a high altitude, Gulmarg is considered as one of the best places for winter sports in Asia. With its blanket of white, the idyllic hill station is seeing tourists again fill its hotels and ski, sledge and trek its Himalayan landscape.
Image: Rifat Fareed/DW
A year-round destination
Gulmarg was developed as a resort by the British nearly a century ago, and the region's eternal appeal with foreign visitors has made it a year-round destination. In summer, tourists meander through meadows, ravines and evergreen-forested valleys. In winter, they snowboard, ski, and trek on Asia's largest ski terrain.
Image: Rifat Fareed/DW
An unprecedented clampdown
The 2019 end of Kashmir's semi-autonomous status and an unprecedented security clampdown morphed Gulmarg into a ghost town. New Delhi also imposed a communications shutdown in the restive region to quell unrest after it revoked the territory's semi-autonomy and brought it under direct rule.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Zargar
Severe economic losses
The restrictions caused severe economic and job losses in Kashmir. It also impaired the already feeble health care system and paused the school and college education of millions. The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries pegged the economic losses in the region at $5.3 billion (€4.37 billion) and about half a million jobs lost till August last year.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/T. Mustafa
Pandemic compounds woes
Last March, Indian authorities enforced a harsh lockdown to combat the coronavirus, all but halting foreign travel. But the pandemic made Indians reconsider their own vacations, with many of them deciding to travel to Gulmarg when otherwise they might have gone abroad.
Image: Rifat Fareed/DW
'A good sign'
For the first time in 15 months, hotels are sold out until the end of February. "For January and February, we have had 100% bookings in Gulmarg which is a good sign. We hope the trend keeps going upward," a tourism official told DW. Some tourists say they're visiting Gulmarg this time because of the COVID-related travel restrictions in places like Europe.
