Prominent Indian Muslim politician Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday expressed concern over the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir after a local Pandit (Hindu) was killed in the union territory's Shopian district.
Owaisi, chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party, said the BJP-appointed authorities have proved "unsuccessful" and that the “removal of Article 370 hasn’t helped."
“The Kashmiri Pandits now want to leave Kashmir, fearing more violence,” he said.
Owaisi’s statement came after militants opened fire on two brothers belonging to the Kashmiri Pandit community at an apple orchard. One of them died, while the other suffered injuries and is being treated in hospital.
Terrorists Opened Fire on Two Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir, One of them Died
© Photo : Twitter/@KashmirPolice
Apart from Owaisi, former state chiefs Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party and Omar Abdullah of the National Conference also condemned the killing, while expressing their condolences to the victims' family.
Expressing grief over the incident, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha vowed that the “terrorists responsible for the barbaric act will not be spared.”
BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur also said, “Terror has no religion. Killers should be punished.”
Militants have recently stepped up attacks in the region. A policeman was killed in the Nowhatta area on Sunday, while a migrant laborer was killed in the Bandipora area last week. Two grenade attacks took place in the Budgam and Srinagar districts on Monday.