Hindu elected official in Kashmir Valley killed by terrorists Lashkar-e-Taiba
MADHU PATEL
CHICAGO: Ajay Pandita, the only Hindu elected to office in the Kashmir Valley, was shot dead reportedly by the newly renamed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group, The Resistance Front.
LeT, a US State Department-designated terrorist organization, has long received direction, training, and logistical support from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency. The group has been responsible for a number of terrorist attacks in India, including the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.
Rajiv Pandit a Hindu American Foundation (HAF) board member said “The Resistance Front is simply an attempt by terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba to rebrand themselves, to circumvent restrictions, sound secular and obscure their violent past. They are targeting civilians, including journalists, and anyone else explaining India’s perspective.â€
Pandit added: “My condolences to the family and friends of Ajay Pandita. He sacrificed his life for democracy in Kashmir. HAF stands with you in this time of grief. Violence will never win.â€
HAF further denounces the Jammu and Kashmir government’s failure to provide security to Pandita and other local elected officials and called on the Jammu and Kashmir police to conduct a thorough and expedited investigation.
