#TodayInHistory 20 Yrs ago, Shri Raghunath Ji Temple was attacked by Islamic Fidayeens in Jammu
   30-Mar-2022

Raghunath Temple History
 
 Twenty years ago on this day , 30-03-2002 Pakistan sponsored (LeT) Islamic terrorists had carried out a Fidayeen attack at the pious Raghunath Ji Temple in the heart of Jammu City of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
 
Terrorists detonated several grenades directly outside the temple as well as shot passersby and worshippers with the AK-47 rifles in the market area and then entered the temple . They fired indiscriminately killing 12 and injuring 20 people. In the first-ever attack by a suicide squad (`fidayeen') in the heart of the Jammu city, two terrorists struck the usually heavily-crowded Raghunath temple at 10.20 am March 30, 2002.
 
 Eyewitnesses said that the two fidayeen came to the crowded Hari market adjacent to Raghunath Mandir, built 150 years ago by Raja Pratap Singh, and blew up a car by throwing a grenade on it. The blast created a panic among the people who started running for safety. The terrorists then started spraying bullets at civilians, killing two, identified as Santosh Kumar and Ashok Kumar.
 
Security personnel opened fire at the terrorists, killing one. Taking advantage of the panic, the other terrorist ran towards the Raghunath Mandir and gunned down two special services bureau personnel guarding the main temple gate.
 
The killed personnel were identified as Havaldar Sureshwar and constable Togan Taki hailing from Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
 
The terrorist entered the temple and fired at a Jammu and Kashmir police Constable Dheeraj Kumar and Laxman Das, a shopkeeper. Both died on the spot. The terrorist entered the right side of the temple and opened fire at a woman, Ratna Devi, hailing from Gwalior.
 
 
 
There was no damage to the temple. Ultimately , second terrorist was also killed . A bag containing handgrenades and other explosive material was recovered from the terrorists.
 
Then Minister of State for External Affairs of India, Omar Abdullah, blamed Pakistan for the terrorist attacks on the Raghunath temple in Jammu and ruled out withdrawing troops from the border , saying Islamabad had done nothing to warrant it.
 
Today , twenty years have passed by to that day but nothing much has changed as far the the terrorist attacks are concerned. People are still being killed on the name of Jihad . Why do these terrorists forget that no religion ever endorses spilling innocents blood.
 
Such attacks show that targeting sacred sites of the Hindus have always been part of the Jihadist strategy. These attacks have involved elaborate planning, and the killings inside the sacred precincts have always had an element of added cruelty.