A National Conference MLA on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP and the RSS of engineering Friday’s killing of two of her aides, absolving the militants of the attack that came days before the local body polls.

“My workers served the poor. Who killed my men? (It is the) governor, chief secretary, Government of India, BJP and Modiji. It is they who got them killed and they are wholly and solely responsible,” Haba Kadal MLA Shamima Firdous told a news conference here before breaking down.

“As far as I am concerned, there is a BJP and RSS hand in these killings. I say it very categorically that their imprints are clear.”

NC president Farooq Abdullah and vice-president Omar Abdullah, both former chief ministers, too have indicated doubts about the government claim of a militant attack, reading a “design” in the killings and seeking a “high-level probe”.

A police spokesperson, however, reiterated that the killers — who also injured a third NC worker — were militants.

BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur said the party planned to lodge an FIR against Shamima for levelling “baseless allegations”. He said: “This shows the NC is frustrated by our success. They can see that grassroots leaders are challenging their dynastic rule.”

Reports of the militants killing NC workers Nazir Ahmad Bhat and Mushtaq Ahmad Wani had caused some surprise because their party, like its regional rival People’s Democratic Party, is boycotting the October 8-16 local body polls. The NC has, however, always borne the brunt of militant attacks.

The boycott has already helped the BJP win over 70 wards unopposed. It is expected to win more, but the election might go down as one of the least credible polls held in the state, with around two-thirds of the Valley’s 598 wards either unable to find a single candidate or being won unopposed.

Shamima, president of her party’s women’s wing, highlighted that no militant organisation had claimed responsibility for the attack.

“The real killers should be brought to the fore, whoever they are, whether they are the government’s men or non-governmental men,” she said.

Shamima said the killings were part of a BJP conspiracy to discourage the NC from contesting (future) polls.

She said the police were always present at Kani Kadal (Karfali Mohalla), where the attack took place, but were not there on Friday.

“There wasn’t a single policeman there. They (the killers) came there twice. First they fired a single shot each and left on a motorbike, but they returned (to kill the two),” she said.

The attackers had fired at those inside a meat shop. All three inside, including the owner, happened to be NC workers.

Shamima claimed that no policeman had visited the spot to investigate. “They did not bother to find out who had come, what their height was, what they were wearing, what the make of their bike was and what weapons they carried. They have done nothing so far,” she said.

Earlier, Omar had said in a statement: “The incumbent administration had already removed security from some of our functionaries --- all this needs to be unearthed and brought before people.

“There seems to be some sort of a design into the killings of our party men and it’s up to the investigating agencies to identify the killers and bring them to justice.”

Last week, BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav had accused the NC and the People’s Democratic Party of scuppering the election process and equated them with “terrorists and their upper ground workers”.

Madhav had claimed that the two parties were warning the candidates to stay away.