Defying militants, BJP candidate from the Kulgam constituency Ghulam Hassan Zargar put up a brave face on Wednesday when he vowed to fight the assembly elections despite the attack on his house in the sensitive south Kashmir belt.
Two suspected masked militants barged into the house of Zargar on Tuesday evening and browbeat the inmates before firing some rounds. A bullet fired by the militants also hit the wall of his house.
Zargar, a retired school teacher who was nominated by BJP as their candidate for Kulgam constituency of south Kashmir on Tuesday, was not present in the house when the attack took place.
"I was away in Srinagar attending a meeting. Militants had entered into my house threatening and harassing my family members and workers who were present there. Thankfully no one was injured", said Zargar.
The BJP candidate said he was on his way home when he received a call from one of his children informing him about the attack. "They told me not to come since militants had entered into the house. They were masked men with guns. Militants job is to threaten and harass the political worker", he said.
Zargar, who has been given a security cover by police on Wednesday, demanded a CRPF cover given the sensitivity of the place he is contesting from. "'Eight to 10 cops have been put on my security duty today. But I want CRPF men because it is a sensitive area", he said.
A defiant Zargar however vowed not to budge before the militant threats and continue to fight the polls on the BJP ticket in Kulgam constituency.
"Inshalla (God willing) I will continue to fight the polls. I have been in BJP for the last six months and other parties are feeling jittery by my network", he said.
Inspector general of police, Kashmir Zone, Abdul Ghani Mir told dna that he (Zargar) got the mandate yesterday and he was in Srinagar. "They said one or two people came and threatened them. We are looking into it", he said.
Meanwhile, security personnel fired some shots in air when they heard some firing shots near a public meeting of Congress candidate at Yaripora in Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Wednesday.
"Today in the afternoon people had assembled near Sumo Stand Yaripora to participate for a public meeting which was to be addressed by congress candidate Inayatullah Rather In the meanwhile, some kind of sound was heard from the apple orchards. Suspecting it to be an adverse fire some security personnel fired some shots in air.", a police spokesman said.
Police teams were immediately rushed to ascertain the nature of the sound. "It was found that the sound came off firecrackers as two marriage functions were being held in the neighbourhood", the spokesman added.
Police is also investigating the report of the suspected blast in Government Middle School, Bobsipora in the Ganderbal district of central Kashmir.
"Immediately Bomb Disposal Squad was rushed. However, no explosive substance was found. Police s investigating as to what caused the bang", he said.
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