The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) observed September 13 as ‘Balidan Diwas’ in Jammu in honour of Kashmiri Pandit leader and BJP member Tika Lal Taploo, who was killed by militants the same day in 1989 in Srinagar.
“Taploo was a brave soldier who sacrificed his last drop of blood for the country and to see the Tricolour flying high here. He was a member of the RSS. We pledge to walk the path shown by him and ensure that the base of nationalist forces expands in J&K,” State BJP president Ravinder Raina said in Jammu.
Mr. Raina said Taploo always fought separatists, terrorists and anti-national elements in the Kashmir Valley.
Scores of Kashmiri Pandit employees also observed the day as ‘Balidan Diwas’ in Jammu. These employees, recruited under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP), also staged a protest to press their demands. Many were demanding a transfer policy after the targeted attacks on the members of minority communities in the Valley. They were carrying the banners of teacher Rajni Bala and Rahul Bhat, who were killed by militants in the Valley.
