BJP state secretary Anil Parihar, 52, and his brother, Ajeet Parihar, 55, were killed on Thursday night when they were returning home after closing their stationary shop located outside old DC office complex.
Hundreds of people from all communities paid their last respects as the mortal remains of the brothers were consigned to flames.
Enraged over the killing of Anil Parihar, BJP leader, and Ajeet Parihar, his brother, members of the minority community raised slogans against the BJP leadership for making them “sitting ducks”.
According to media reports said soon after the cremation of Parihar brothers, an angry mob comprising a large number of women trooped towards BJP leaders who were returning after attending the last rites of the deceased. “Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who is Lok Sabha member from the area, was gheroed by the angry mob in Kishtwar.”
The enraged mob posed many uncomfortable questions to the minister and alleged that after the 2014 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the BJP leadership had virtually abandoned the minority community of the region.
Protests erupted across the Jammu region on Friday against the targeted killings of BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajeet Parihar in Kishtwar town on Thursday night. The protesters demanded the immediate arrest of the killers while condemning the attack as a bid to disturb communal harmony and peace in the region.
In Doda, Bhaderwah and Thatri towns, local people led by leaders of various political parties also held demonstrations and condemned the killings. They demanded a thorough probe into the incident, saying that it was an attempt to sabotage peace in the region.
Even as the Army on Friday conducted flag march in the main towns of Kishtwar and Doda districts, a special investigation team (SIT) has been constituted under Kishtwar Additional Superintendent of Police Parbeet Singh to probe the killing.
Two personal security officers (PSOs) of the deceased leader, who were not with him during the attack, are being questioned, sources said. The Parihar brothers were shot at point-blank range while returning home from their shop, 300 metres away, on Thursday night.
Two personal security officials of the senior BJP leader, who was killed by suspected militants, were detained in Kishtwar district and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Jammu and Kashmir Government on Friday to probe the incident, officials said.
District Magistrate Angrez Singh Rana said a curfew imposed in the area on Thursday night was still in place and additional security personnel had been deployed.
Rana added that no untoward incidents was reported.
Following the incident, people had staged angry protests in the communally-sensitive town and manhandled senior police officials.
Kishtwar district had witnessed communal clashes in the past. Terrorists had attempted to create communal tension in the region by targeting Hindu community, especially in the higher reaches. In 2001, the terrorists killed 17 Hindu nomads.
The killings of Parihar brothers drew severe condemnation from all quarters.
