Srinagar: Cutting across party lines, political leaders across J&K on Thursday condemned the attack on National Conference president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah in Jammu and demanded a thorough probe into the incident.
Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, in a post on X, said, “Shocked to hear about the grave attack on Dr Farooq Abdullah sahab. Relieved to know that he’s safe and doing well.”
“Hope the police get to the bottom of this very perturbing security lapse,” she added.
Abdullah (88) had a narrow escape when a gunman allegedly opened fire at him from behind while he was leaving a marriage function at Greater Kailash on the outskirts of Jammu on Wednesday night.
The J&K unit of BJP strongly condemned the attack saying “targeting political leaders through violence is unacceptable” and demanded a thorough probe into the incident.
During a meeting of the BJP spokespersons in Jammu and Kashmir, the leaders discussed the incident and expressed serious concern over the attack, said Advocate Sunil Sethi, a party spokesperson.
Addressing the meeting, Sethi said violence has no place in a democratic society and political differences must be addressed through dialogue and constitutional means.
“The BJP firmly opposes such acts and reiterates that the party does not support any activity that threatens peace and democratic functioning,” he said.
“A thorough and transparent probe should be conducted into the incident so that the circumstances surrounding the attack can be properly examined,” he said.
BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa, who visited the residence of Abdullah to express solidarity, described the incident as condemnable and said Jammu has always been known for peace and communal harmony.
“Such incidents have never had a place in Jammu. Even at the peak of militancy, the region maintained harmony. What has happened now is highly condemnable,” he said.
Randhawa said the attack took place at a private function, making the incident even more unfortunate.
“It is by God’s grace that no harm occurred. However, security agencies should certainly pay attention to such matters. When prominent personalities attend a place, adequate security arrangements should be ensured,” he added.
The motive behind the attack was still unclear and must be thoroughly investigated, he said.
“The accused himself is giving different statements. We do not know what kind of grudge he had or what prompted him to commit such an act. This is clearly a matter for investigation,” Randhawa said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Congress condemned the murderous attack and said “those entrusted with maintaining law and order must be held accountable”.
Jammu and Kashmir Congress Committee president Tariq Hamid Karra termed the incident shocking and said it raised serious concerns about the prevailing security situation in the region.
“Strongly condemn the shocking firing incident on former CM Farooq Abdullah and other senior leaders …Such acts of violence are deeply disturbing and raise serious concerns about the prevailing security scenario in the region,” Karra said in a post on X.
He said the increasing criminalisation and lawlessness cannot be ignored.
“Those entrusted with maintaining law and order must be held accountable. The people deserve safety, stability, and a secure environment, and it is the responsibility of the administration to ensure that such incidents are not repeated,” he said.
All India Congress general secretary and Congress Legislative Party leader Ghulam Ahmed Mir also condemned the incident, describing such occurrences at public places as unfortunate.
“Such incidents are unfortunate. The security setup should investigate how this happened. The matter needs to be addressed,” Mir said.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq condemned the attack, saying the incident needs to be probed thoroughly.
“News about the (murderous) attempt on Dr Farooq Abdullah Sahib’s life at a function in Jammu is concerning and condemnable,” Mirwaiz posted on his X handle.
The religious leader called for a probe into how the assailant got so close to Abdullah with a loaded weapon.
“Relieved to know that he escaped unhurt. That someone with a loaded weapon got so close and fired at him needs to be thoroughly probed,” he added.
National Conference MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi condemned the attack on Abdullah.
“Hon’ble Member of Parliament @RuhullahMehdi has strongly condemned the reprehensible incident reported in Jammu in which fire was opened on Dr Farooq Abdullah and Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Chaudhary during a wedding function,” he said in a post on X.
Mehdi, the Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar who has been at loggerheads with the National Conference government over several issues, said such acts of violence are deeply concerning and emphasised that those responsible must be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law.
People’s Conference president Sajad Gani Lone, who is an MLA from the Handwara assembly seat, also condemned the firing incident.
“Condemn the cowardly firing at Dr Farooq sahib, Surinder Choudhary Ji and Nasir Aslam sahib. Thanks to Allah Almighty that they are safe,” Lone posted on his X handle.
CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami termed the incident a serious security lapse.
“Strongly condemn the assassination bid on Farooq Abdullah Sahab. Fortunately, he escaped unhurt. The incident demands a thorough probe. It must be probed how an assailant carrying a loaded pistol managed to get so close to a serious security lapse,” he added. (With inputs from PTI)
