Shabir Ahmad Bhat worked with the BJP.
Highlights
- Shabir Bhat was kidnapped and a manhunt was launched to track him
- After poll announcements, Bhat is the first activist to be killed
- BJP President Amit Shah condoled his death on Twitter
A BJP worker was allegedly killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Wednesday morning.
Shabir Ahmad Bhat was shot dead by terrorists at around 2:30 am in Rakh-e-litter area.
Police say he was kidnapped on Tuesday evening and a massive manhunt was launched to track him.
Mr Bhat is the first political activist killed by the terrorists after the government announced municipal and panchayat elections in state last week.
In a series of tweets, BJP President Amit Shah condoled Mr Bhat's death by saying that extremists cannot stop the youth of Kashmir from choosing a better future for themselves.
"Anguished to learn about the killing of BJP karyakarta, Shabir Ahmad Bhat by terrorists in Pulwama (J&K). This act of cowardice is highly condemnable. Extremists cannot stop the youth of Kashmir from choosing a better future for themselves. This cycle of violence won't last long," Mr Shah tweeted.
"The sacrifice of our @BJP4JnK karyakartas will not go in vain. Entire BJP stands firmly with Shabir Ahmad Bhat's family in this hour of grief. My deepest condolences. May god give his family the strength to bear this tragic loss," he wrote in another tweet.
Last year, a 30-year-old BJP youth wing leader belonging to the BJP was allegedly killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district. Gowhar Ahmed Bhat's body was found, with his throat slit in an orchard in Kiloora. Mr Bhat was the district president of the BJP's youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. He was a resident of Bongam area in Shopian.
BJP President Amit Shah had condoled Mr Bhat's death by saying that terrorists could not stop the youth from choosing a better future.