The family members and scores of local residents lined up to pay their respect to the martyr. Rahul Kumar’s father Jaikaran Singh said, “I raised my son and made him work in the army for the nation. He martyred himself for the nation but our government doesn’t have a good policy because they are neither given orders nor good weapons.”
“As for me, I have another son and I am ready to martyr him and martyr myself as well. I will always be ready to pay my service,” the bereaved father added.
Jaikaran also informed that the funeral rites of his son will take place wherever the villagers decide.
Brijpal Singh, a relative of Rahul Kumar also said, “The government came by promising a lot of things. They said good days will come but this is how we are seeing our good days. Our boy has expired. No minister or any other official has visited us till now. They just make big promises and do everything for votes.”
Rahul Kumar was killed after a militant group attacked a patrol party along the Line of Control in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday night.
According to official sources, a group of militants opened fire on the army’s patrolling party of 23 Grenadier (under 268 Infantry Division) at Mundian forest in Keran sector late Saturday night.
Image: The body of Rahul Kumar of 23 GDR Battalion, martyred in Kupwara encounter, brought to his village. Photograph: ANI/Twitter.
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