Amid condemnation for the killing of a Kashmiri Pandit Sarpanch in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, some comments on social media related to the death of the 40-year-old outraged many.
While some made jokes that the Sarpanch's post laid vacant after his death, others even linked his killing to a domicile debate. Some even tagged the Kashmir Zone Police to report a Facebook comment apparently by a young man who allegedly threatened Kasmiri Pandits with dire consequences.
There were others who were not so direct, but subtly justified the unjustifiable. "As Kashmiri I'm numb & sad for his loss of life. Let's be clear, India used him as scapegoat for domicile laws in Kashmir. India wants to change demography when world is facing pandemic. He wasn't serving Kashmiris there but Indian designs. Sorry you had to die so young," wrote one user on Twitter.
The Sarpanch, Ajay Pandita, was shot dead by unidentified terrorists in Anantnag district on Monday, evoking widespread anger among the Kashmiri Pandit community which was ethnically cleansed from the Valley in 1990 by Pakistan-backed terror groups.
Others even lamented that not many people came forward to condemn the killing. They particularly targeted those who generally mourn the killing of militants. "All those shouting, tweeting, writing grand op-eds, sermonizing & high roading, distributing certifications while in support of those #Pulitzer prize winners and photo journalists who support and perpetuate terrorists propaganda haven't been able to thumb down a single word yet," a user, Ieshan Vinay Misri, tweeted in anger.
In a video posted on Twitter on Tuesday, veteran actor Anupam Kher echoed a similar feeling. "Deeply saddened & angry at the merciless killing of the lone #KashmiriPandit sarpanch #AjayPandita in Anantnag yesterday. My heartfelt condolences to his family. There is an obvious silence from the usual suspects who cry their heart hoarse otherwise," Kher said.
But there were no dearth of those from the Muslim community who chastised others "enjoying" the killing of the Sarpanch. "Those people enjoying death of any human being are the worst lot among us. May Allah guide them," wrote one Facebook user in a comment to a post. "Killing any innocent person is like killing the entire humanity...my sympathies with the bereaved family..I pray that this bloodshed comes to an end," wrote another.
