Congress questions JK Govt.'s 'rationale' behind compensation for slain brother of Burhan Wani

With the Mehbooba Mufti government sanctioning ex-gratia payment to slain terrorist Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's father in the case of the killing of his other son, Khalid Wani, the Congress Party on Wednesday questioned the rationale as to why a family of a terrorist was getting compensation.

Calling that the decision 'strange' and 'absurd', Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said that the state government has not paid any compensation to the kin of soldiers who have died in the line of duty then why are they paying a terrorist's family.

"All the BJP members including Prime Minister used to say that anyone who used to utter the name of Burhan Wani, they will be called anti-national. They have made him terrorist. And if he was a terrorist why did his family getting compensation? Burhan Wani is a terrorist and will remain a terrorist, he told ANI"

The Jammu and Kashmir government yesterday cleared ex-gratia payment for the next of kin of 17 people, including Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani's brother, Khalid, who were killed in militancy-related incidents in the Valley.

Burhan had left home at the age of 15 in October 2010 to join the Hizbul Mujahideen, while his brother Khalid lived in Tral in Pulwama with his family. The 25-year-old, who was pursuing a Masters degree in Political Science from IGNOU, reportedly told his mother on the afternoon of April 13, 2015 that he was going for a picnic, however, his body was found in the nearby jungles hours later.

However, Burhan Wani and two other terrorists were killed in an encounter in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on July 8.