BJP workers resign en masse amid targeted attacks in Jammu & Kashmir: Report

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Attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker getting by militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district on August 9 has triggered mass resignations from party cadre in the Kashmir Valley.

According to a report by The Economic Times, there were eight fresh resignations in 24 hours. About 17 BJP workers have resigned over the last month.

On August 10, police confirmed that Abdul Hamid Najar, who was shot at by militants, had succumbed to injuries at a hospital. Najar was in-charge of the J&K BJP’s OBC unit and had joined the party a few months back.

He is the fourth BJP worker or office bearer targeted by militants in the last one month. Earlier, BJP's district president for Bandipora, Waseem Bari, his father and brother were shot dead by militants.

A BJP panch was also shot at and injured on August 4, while another sarpanch from the saffron party was shot dead two days later in south Kashmir's Kulgam district.

The report cites a senior police official as saying that around 400 BJP workers have been shifted to secured hotels, government accommodation and cluster-secured camps in the past year.

The wave of attacks coincides with the first anniversary (on August 5) of BJP-ruled central government abrogating Article 370, which gave J&K special status, and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories.