Srinagar: A 40-year-old sarpanch was shot dead by militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag on Monday.
The deceased, Ajay Pandita Bharti, sarpanch of the Larkipora area in Anantnag district and a member of the Congress party, was shot at by militants in his native village at around 6 pm, sources said.
Immediately, Pandita was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries.
"Sarpanch Ajay Pandita Bharti fired upon by suspected militants while he was on his way back from a temple in his halka," Sandeep Chaudhary, Senior Superintendent of Police, Anantnag told ETV Bharat.
He said, "During the attack, Bharti was critically injured and later succumbed to injuries on the way to GMC Anantnag."
The former chief minister and senior National Conference leader Omar Abdullah too has condemned the killing of the sarpanch.
"Very sorry to hear about the killing of sarpanch Ajay Pandita in Anantnag earlier this afternoon. I unequivocally condemn this terror attack on a grassroots political worker and pray that his soul rests in peace," he tweeted.
A Congress spokesman, while condemning the killing, said Pandita was a dedicated party worker.
No militant outfit has claimed the responsibility for the killing so far.
The People's Democratic Party also condemned the killing but trained its guns at the government.
"Left in lurch by the system and hounded by those revolting against it, such is the dismal state of political workers. What can someone hope to achieve by silencing those actively serving poor and marginalised? We vehemently condemn such brutal assassination of Mr Ajay Pandita ji," the PDP tweeted.
The Congress demanded a judicial enquiry into the gruesome incident.
"The killing of Ajay Bharti (Pandit) is a mindless and shameful act which needs exemplary punishment against those behind it," a party spokesman said.
He said the party demands a judicial enquiry into the killing of the sarpanch to fix responsibility.
"The deceased Ajay Bharti, apprehending attack on his life, had written to Govt for security cover, which was reportedly denied to him. As a result, Bharti lost his life in a gruesome attack," the spokesman said.
The Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari also condemned the killing.
