Jammu: Deepak Chand Mehra, the government school teacher who was killed in Srinagar on Thursday morning, was cremated amid tears at Shakti Nagar crematorium, in presence of inconsolable family, relatives, neighbours and hundreds of people on Friday.
Deepak, a resident of Patoli Mangotrian in Jammu district, was gunned down by the militants along with the school principal Supinder Kour at Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Eidgah in Srinagar yesterday morning.
Amid wailing family members, relatives, neighbours and hundreds of people including politicians from BJP, Congress and other political parties, the last rites of Mehra were performed as Jammu witnessed protests and demonstrations at several areas.
Hundreds of people gathered at his residence yesterday after learning about his killing in Srinagar. He is survived by his mother, siblings, wife and a minor daughter.
BJP J&K president Ravinder Raina, along with other BJP leaders, was also present at the cremation.
Speaking to the media on this occasion, Raina said, “After the abrogation of special status, J&K is heading for development and prosperity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has given approval to developmental projects worth thousands of crores. Communal brotherhood among Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs is strengthening. These things are not being tolerated by the anti-national elements.”
He said, “The separatists, militants, Pakistan and enemies of J&K’s people have hatched a conspiracy to disturb the peaceful atmosphere with targeted killings in Kashmir valley.”
He further said that the militants, their sympathizers and supporters, whosoever was involved in this conspiracy, would not be spared and they would have to face consequences.
“Art 370 was the cause of militancy and separatism in Kashmir,” he said.
The J&K BJP president further said, “Since the special status has been abrogated and all central laws are implemented, people are happy and they are living in peace in J&K. This is why they (militants) carried out selective killings to bleed Kashmir. However, this conspiracy will not lower the morale of the nationalist people.”
He said that the militants hatched a conspiracy in the form of selective killings to create an atmosphere of fear among the people to sabotage the plan of the Government of India for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs and nationalist Muslims of Kashmir valley who were compelled to migrate from Kashmir in 90s.