Assassination bid on Farooq Abdullah raised in RS; Oppn blames statehood revocation

The alleged assassination attempt on Farooq Abdullah, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, reverberated in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, triggering sharp exchanges between the Opposition and the government.

Raising the matter in the Upper House as proceedings began, leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said Abdullah’s security was under threat and blamed the situation on the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.

“His security is under threat because statehood of Jammu and Kashmir was revoked,” Kharge said, arguing that when the region had an elected government and its own administrative control, such incidents were unlikely to occur. He alleged that the present situation had arisen because law and order in the Union Territory was now under the control of the Union Home Ministry.

Kharge claimed that the breakdown of law and order had created conditions in which conspiracies could be hatched against prominent leaders. Referring to the attack that took place on Wednesday night on the outskirts of Jammu, he said Abdullah narrowly escaped after a gunman opened fire at him while he was leaving a wedding function.

“Is it the intention of the government to kill Farooq Abdullah?” the Congress president asked, adding that if the government truly intended to protect him, adequate security should have been ensured.

Kharge further said that people in Kashmir would feel safe only when the region regains full statehood, asserting that the people of the Valley were not secure under the present arrangement. He also alleged that there was a broader conspiracy targeting individuals who stood for secularism, socialism and national unity.

The accused in the incident, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, was quickly overpowered by security personnel and taken into custody.

Responding to the concerns raised in the House, Leader of the House and Union minister J.P. Nadda described the incident as “a murderous attack” and said the government viewed it with utmost seriousness.

“This is a matter of great concern and a very serious issue. The Government of India is taking the matter very seriously,” Nadda said, assuring the House that a comprehensive investigation would be carried out.

He said authorities would determine the motive behind the alleged assailant’s actions and that appropriate steps would be taken to ensure Abdullah’s security.

However, Nadda cautioned against politicising the episode. He said it was not appropriate to immediately link the attack to the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood or to allege that there was a conspiracy to eliminate Abdullah.

“Reaching such conclusions and making such allegations is condemnable,” he said, while also criticising the Congress party over its handling of the mysterious death of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, founder of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, who died in 1953 in Srinagar under controversial circumstances.

Meanwhile, Chowdry Mohammad Ramzan, a member of Parliament from the National Conference, also raised concerns in the House, alleging that Abdullah did not have adequate police protection at the time of the attack. He demanded that the former chief minister’s security cover be upgraded.

The issue sparked intense political debate in Parliament, reflecting the continuing tensions between the Opposition and the government over the security situation and governance framework in Jammu and Kashmir.

With PTI inputs