The two jawans were shot of motorcycle-bourne terrorists in south Kashmir on Sunday.
Jammu bade goodbye today to the two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans who were shot dead in a terrorist attack in Kashmir's Anantnag district on Sunday. But the glaring absence of any political leader at the wreath-laying ceremony turned their grief into rage.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Omprakash Singh and Constable Tilak Raj had died fighting militants in the state. But no political leader - from the Government or the Opposition - was among the attendees.
"Politicians just want to play politics. They don't have any concern for our sorrows. They don't want to have any involvement with us. They are just interested in their politics," said a CRPF jawan present at the ceremony.
But this was perhaps not the first time the state's political circle was missing at memorial services.
In March 2013, then chief minister Omar Abdullah's absence from the funeral of five CRPF jawans had set off a controversy. He later paid a tribute to them at the airport. The former chief minister had also conveyed his condolences to the families of the martyrs.
"We are extremely sad. Whenever a jawan is martyred, politicians should be present. But they didn't turn up, we are pained," added another jawan.