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Cong suggests Army ‘friendly fire’ behind deaths of 2 SPOs in Kishtwar, BJP hits back

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Tariq Hamid Karra suggested that off-duty officers Babi Chand and Rashpal Singh may have been mistaken for militants by the Army while returning from a hunting trip in civilian clothes. However, Karra also acknowledged a competing narrative that attributes the killings directly to terrorists. The Bharatiya Janata Party swiftly rejected the claims, demanding punitive action against the Congress leadership for disparaging the armed forces before an official inquiry concludes.

Key points

  • Congress demanded a comprehensive investigation into whether the Kishtwar officer deaths…: Congress demanded a comprehensive investigation into whether the Kishtwar officer deaths resulted from Army friendly fire or militant action.
  • The BJP called for legal action against Congress leadership, arguing the unverified accus…: The BJP called for legal action against Congress leadership, arguing the unverified accusations actively undermine military morale.
  • Allegations of communal incitement surfaced after Congress disputed a BJP lawmaker's clai…: Allegations of communal incitement surfaced after Congress disputed a BJP lawmaker's claim that local mosques broadcast calls to attack Hindus.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

**EDS: THIRD PARTY IMAGE** In this screengrab from a video received on Nov. 13, 2026, Security personnel pay tribute with full honours to Special Police Officers (SPOs) Babi Chand and Rashpal Singh, who lost their lives in the line of duty in Dachhan, during a wreath-laying ceremony, in Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir. (Handout via PTI Photo)(PTI11_13_2026_000452B)

SRINAGAR: Congress in J&K Sunday demanded a thorough probe into the killing of two special police officers (SPOs) in Kishtwar earlier this week, suggesting they may have been mistakenly killed by Army personnel, a remark that drew swift condemnation from BJP.J&K Congress president Tariq Hamid Karra told reporters that the party’s district president in Kishtwar has informed him that the two SPOs had gone hunting and were carrying guns. “When they were returning, Army personnel mistook them for terrorists as they were in civilian clothes and opened fire on them,” he said, adding another version is that they were killed by terrorists.

Army has not issued any statement on the matter so far.Accusing the BJP of trying to communalise the incident, Karra said…

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