Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Saturday unanimously condemned the recent assassination attempt on National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, with several members demanding a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge into the incident.
Treasury and opposition benches both termed the incident deeply disturbing and a glaring security lapse, and some of them demanded that the attacker be declared as a “terrorist” and handed over an exemplary punishment.
Abdullah, a former chief minister, had a miraculous escape on March 11 when 63-year-old Kamal Singh, a resident of Purani Mandi area of Jammu, opened fire from a point-blank range while the politician was leaving a wedding function in the Greater Kailash area. The attacker was overpowered and arrested with a revolver.
Police have constituted a special investigation team (SIT) under the supervision of a deputy inspector general of Police (DIG) to probe the attack.
Raising serious concerns over the absence of adequate policemen at the venue, legislators questioned how an attacker managed to come dangerously close to 88-year-old Abdullah, calling the breach “unacceptable” and demanding accountability.
Winding up over a two-hour long discussion, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather said Home Minister Amit Shah and J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha had interacted with Abdullah following the incident and expressed confidence that the investigation would be taken to its logical conclusion, with the culprit receiving exemplary punishment.
“What we have discussed today must be strongly conveyed and amplified. Those responsible for law and order must clearly understand that this is not an ordinary incident, it is a serious matter connected to broader concerns. Abdullah is not an ordinary individual; he is a nationally and internationally recognised personality who has served the country during difficult times,” Rather said.
He said the House had collectively expressed concern and assured that the matter would be pursued and that necessary steps should be taken to prevent recurrence.
“There are also concerns about the conduct and mindset of the individual involved. Reports suggest that he showed no remorse and behaved in a manner that indicates deeper issues, which need thorough investigation,” the Speaker said.
As the House assembled for the day, several National Conference legislators informed the chair that they had moved an adjournment motion to discuss the attack on Abdullah.
The Speaker, however, ensured a peaceful conclusion of the question hour and later allowed a discussion on the incident.
“I have received a notice for an adjournment motion from several NC legislators…It should have been submitted an hour earlier, but given that the issue is of serious concern to all members of the House, I am allowing a discussion without the need for an adjournment motion,” said Rather.
Sports minister Satish Sharma, Congress Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, BJP’s Rajiv Jasrotia and Pawan Gupta, NC’s Mubarak Gul, Tanvir Sadiq, Sajad Shaheen, Arjun Singh Raju, Riyaz Bedar, Shafi Ahmad Wani, Mubarak Gul and PDP’s Rafiq Ahmad Naik also spoke and supported the demand for time-bound judicial inquiry.
