Leaders across party lines on Thursday expressed concern over the assassination attempt on National Conference president Farooq Abdullah in Jammu, with the Opposition and the Union government exchanging barbs in Parliament over the incident, even as a local court remanded the accused for five days in police custody for interrogation.
Abdullah, 88, narrowly escaped on Wednesday night when a gunman shot him at close range while leaving a wedding party in Jammu’s Greater Kailash district. CCTV footage showed individuals linked to the North Carolina leader’s detail intercepting the attacker and evacuating the leader from the scene.
The accused, Kamal Singh Jamwal, a resident of Purani Mandi in Jammu, approached Abdullah from behind and came within close range. Investigators said the 63-year-old accused fired a shot from his licensed .32 caliber pistol before being overpowered by alert security personnel, including Nuclear Suppliers Group commandos.
Jamal, a local businessman, told investigators he had been “waiting for 20 years” to target the North Carolina president over a personal grudge. “I wanted to kill Farooq Abdullah for the past 20 years. Today I had the opportunity, but he was lucky to survive,” a police officer quoted Jamwal as saying.
The accused was produced before a Jammu court, which allowed him to be remanded in custody for five days.
Speaking to reporters in Jammu, Abdullah said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured him that a high-level investigation was underway. He said: “I received a phone call from the Union Home Minister who asked me about my safety and assured me that they would investigate the matter thoroughly. The investigation is necessary.”
Narrating the incident, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said he heard a sharp noise and thought it was the sound of firecrackers. “Security officers immediately took me to a car. I was later informed that a man with a gun had opened fire.”
Abdullah credited his personal detail with saving his life, but questioned the conspicuous absence of local police despite the presence of dignitaries, including Deputy Prime Minister Surinder Chaudhary and Adviser to the Prime Minister Nasir Aslam Wani.
A case of attempt to murder and shooting under relevant sections of BNS has been registered against Jamwal.
Meanwhile, the incident dominated proceedings in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, leading to sharp differences between the treasury and opposition benches.
Rajya Sabha leader and Union Minister JP Nadda said the government was treating the assassination attempt with utmost seriousness. This was in response to Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge’s claim that there appears to be a conspiracy to eliminate Abdullah – who has Z+ category security – and blame the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir statehood for the incident.
“The fatal attack on Abdullah is very disturbing and a very dangerous matter…” Nada said. He assured council members that appropriate measures would be taken.
Accepting the seriousness of the attack on Abdullah, Nadda refuted the opposition’s attempt, saying: “Coming to the conclusion that this happened because (Jammu and Kashmir) was not given statehood… and making allegations that there is a conspiracy being hatched in some way to kill him… is condemnable.”
Karg, who raised the issue during today’s House meeting, said Abdullah’s security was in danger. “His security is threatened because the state of Jammu and Kashmir has been abrogated,” the Leader of the Opposition said in the Rajya Sabha, referring to the Jammu and Kashmir Police being subject to the MHA Act after the state was abrogated.
The attack also forced an immediate rethink of VIP security protocols. The Nuclear Suppliers Group announced a comprehensive security audit of all nine high-risk individuals under its cover, including Abdullah.
“There are more questions than answers right now, including how someone managed to get so close to the former prime minister protected by Z+NSG,” said Omar Abdullah, J&K president and Abdullah’s son.
Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir, including Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, Communist Party of India (Maoist) leader Mai Tarigami and Peoples Conference chief Sajjad Lone, condemned the cowardly act.
(With inputs from PTI)
