Ahmedabad, March 26
Senior BJP leader and former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya was shot dead today by two unidentified assailants outside a park where he had gone for morning walk, the police said. Riding on a motor cycle, the assailants pumped four bullets into Pandya as he sat in his car and was about to drive back home after the morning walk in Law Garden, about three km from his residence in Paldi area.
Forty three-year-old Pandya, who had revolted against the leadership of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and was denied party nomination in the last Assembly poll, collapsed in his car.
He remained unnoticed for about half an hour after being shot at around 10.30 am before being rushed to V.S. Hospital around 11.10 am where he was declared brought dead.
Pandya received at least four bullet injuries — one in the right side of the neck, two below the ribs and one in the lower abdomen, doctors said.
The police have sounded red alert across the state and sealed all exit points from the city to
prevent the killers from escaping. Security has also been beefed up to prevent law and order problem.
Pandya, who was Home Minister in Keshubhai Patel government and was shunted to Revenue Ministry under Modi, is survived by his parents, wife and two sons.
A large number of his supporters gathered outside the hospital and shouted slogans against the Chief Minister, who visited the hospital, and accused him of not providing adequate security to Pandya.
“When Modi has commando security, why can’t our leader also be protected?” asked Pandya’s supporters. Mediapersons also faced wrath of Pandya supporters who roughed up some lensmen. The supporters also asked shopkeepers to down their shutters as a mark of respect for their leader.
State intelligence agencies have been pressed into service to find any lead about identity or whereabouts of the assassins.
Pandya’s assassination is almost on same lines of the attempt made on the life of state VHP leader Jaideep Patel after the Gujarat Assembly elections, the police said adding they would also probe on this line.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi said the state would make all efforts to nab the killers.
TNS adds: The Deputy Prime Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, today briefed the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on the assassination of Haren Pandya in Ahmedabad today. The meeting was attended among others by the Finance Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Mr K.C. Pant, National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra, Cabinet Secretary Kamal Pande, Defence Secretary Subir Dutta and other top officials.
