Ensure safety of Kashmiri Pandits, Delhi CM Kejriwal urges Centre

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that all the Kashmiri Pandits are scared after the killing of government employee Rahul Bhat.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday urged the Centre to ensure the safety of Kashmiri Pandits, this in wake of protests by the community triggered by the killing of tehsil office employee Rahul Bhat in Budgam last week.

“Few days back a Kashmiri pandit was killed in his office. It seems they had thought this through. The country is worried. Why are Kashmiri Pandits still not safe? A lot of them had been sent under a PM package. After this incident, all of them are scared,” the chief minister said in the briefing.

“I urge Centre to ensure safety and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits. We shouldn't fire teargas shells and lathicharge them. The terrorists be warned, India won't tolerate attacks on the Kashmiri Pandit community,” Kejriwal said. The Delhi chief minister was referring to the protests by Kashmiri Pandit community in Budgam on Friday. The police fired teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge after a group of protesters allegedly tried to proceed from Sheikhpora in Budgam to the Srinagar airport.

The Kashmiri Pandits have been protesting against the killing of Rahul Bhat, the employee at the Chadoora tehsil office who was shot dead by terrorists on May 10. He was the second Kashmiri Pandit to be killed in seven months after Makhan Lal Bindroo, who was shot dead in October last year.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the killings. J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha also announced that a government job will be provided to the wife of the deceased Kashmiri Pandit employee. The governor also announced that all the Kashmiri Pandit PM Package employees will be posted at the district and tehsil headquarters.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (PTI)