Rift between the ruling coalition partners in Jammu and Kashmir, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and BJP, over the Shopian killing and an FIR against an Army major widened on Tuesday with the saffron party demanding a case be lodged against the mob that attacked an Army convoy last week.
Two stone-pelters were killed in retaliatory fire when a mob of 200 people, mainly youths, attacked an Army convoy at Ganowpora village in South Kashmir on Saturday.

BJP MLA from Akhnoor Rajeev Sharma protested against the registration of the FIR against the Major, and instead demanded in the state Assembly on Tuesday that a case be lodged against the mob. Demanding that the FIR be withdrawn, he said, “Why didn’t the state government register an FIR against the mob which pelted stones on armed forces?”

NC and Congress MLAs asked the state government to clear its stand on the issue. State BJP spokesperson Virender Gupta alleged that the stone-pelters attacked the Army convoy, forcing the security forces to fire in self-defence. “The Army is fighting Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. It is unfortunate that an FIR has been lodged by the state government against a Major and personnel of 10 Garhwal Unit on charges of murder and attempt to murder while no case has been lodged against stone-pelters.”