Key Takeaways
- The killing of non-local worker Ashok Chouhan in Shopian district is a brazen attack that must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
- Jammu and Kashmir LG, CM Manoj Sinha and Omar Abdullah have offered support to the family of the deceased and assured to bring the culprits to justice.
- Militant attacks on non-local workers and minority members have increased in Kashmir valley since the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019.
Srinagar: A day after a non- local worker was shot dead, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the attack.
Ashok Chouhan, hailing from the Banka district of Bihar, was shot dead by militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district on Friday. His bullet-ridden body was recovered from the Wachi area of Shopian.
The killing of the non-local came two days after Omar took oath as the chief minister of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Lt. Governor Sinha said that security forces are determined to hunt down the culprits and bring them to justice.
“I strongly condemn the brutal killing of a vendor Ashok Chauhan in Shopian by cowardly terrorists. The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with his family. Our security forces are determined to hunt down the culprits and bring them to justice,” Sinha said in a post on X.
“My thoughts are with his family members and friends in this time of grief. I have directed the Jammu Kashmir Police & District Administration to extend all the support,” he added.
J&K Chief Minister Omar also condemned the attack.
“Very sorry to hear about the death of Ashok Chouhan at the hands of militants in South Kashmir. These attacks are abhorrent and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. I send my condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased,” Omar said in a post on X.
Since the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019, militants have regularly targeted non-local workers and minority members in the Valley. These attacks have increased by 50% in 2021 and 2022, making the situation in Kashmir valley increasingly volatile.
This year, four non-locals have been killed by militants in three different attacks in Kashmir.
