The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP Sunday termed the killing of party leader Gul Mohammad Mir a "cowardly act" and said his sacrifice would not go in vain.

Mir, the district vice-president of the party who was popular in the area as 'Atal', was shot dead by three militants in his house at Nowgam-Verinag area of Anantnag district late Saturday.

BJP General Secretary (organisation) Ashok Koul, along with MLCs Surinder Ambardar and Ramesh Arora, state spokesperson Altaf Thakur and Kashmir Media in-charge Manzoor Bhat, visited the bereaved family to extend their sympathies, a BJP spokesman said here.

Describing the killing of Mir as a "cowardly act", national vice president and state in-charge Avinash Rai Khanna said the BJP activists have been risking their lives in Kashmir tostrengthen the nationalist forces, which cannot be "digested" by anti-national elements.

"The gun cannot silence the voice of nationalist people in Kashmir. The party has made supreme sacrifices for the cause of nation in the state and the party cannot be deviated from its mission of the complete integration of the state with the rest of the country," he said.

He said Mir has laid down his life for a noble cause and his sacrifice would further strengthen resolve of the patriotic people to give a befitting reply to those carrying gun to disturb peace, social fabric and halt development in the valley.

Terming the killing of Mir a "big loss" for the nation, state BJP president Ravinder Raina said his sacrifice would not go in vain.

"His killing is a big loss to the nation... He was a brave man who always fought against Pakistani terrorists and till the last breath of his life served the motherland," Raina said adding Mir was associated with the BJP since 1990 and had fought elections on the party ticket in the past.

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