Jammu, June 3 (PTI) Shiv Sena Dogra Front (SSDF) on Thursday held protests in Jammu against the killing of BJP leader and municipal councillor in Kashmir.

Led by their President Ashok Gupta, SSDF activists paid tributes to the slain leader by lighting candles and showering flowers on his photograph.

Rakesh Pandita, Municipal Chairman of Tral, Pulwama was shot dead by three unidentified militants on Wednesday evening when he visiting a friend's house in the area. His daughter was also injured in the incident.

Gupta condemned the killing, saying it was "a desperate attempt by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists” to fail the ongoing peace process in the union territory.

"Pakistan and its sponsored terrorists are shaken by the successive successful operations by the Indian security forces,” he said.

“Indian forces have neutralised dreaded terrorists in the valley and Pakistan's terrorism industry is on the verge of collapse…the people of J&K have seen enough bloodshed and are now determined to defeat the nefarious designs of Pakistan,” he said.

He further said that Pandita didn't deserve brutality while serving his country.

“The entire nation stands with the family of Rakesh Pandita and the perpetrators of crime will not be spared,” he added.

Gupta requested all the parties from the region to desist from making any political statements for their own motives.

He said the incident should be seen as an attack on the democratically elected representatives in the Kashmir valley and “we must fight it tooth and nail with all our positive powers united”.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)