Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday raised serious questions over the security lapses owing to which an assailant was able to fire two pistol shots at his father and ruling National Conference president, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, from point blank range, during a marriage party on Wednesday evening.
Thanks to the aler NSG commandos, who rose to the occasion grabbing his hand and turning the pistol upwards, the assassination attempt failed. During interrogation, the assailant, who has been identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, 65, who lives in Jammu’s Purani Mandi, told the police that for the last 20 years he was waiting for this moment.
Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Farooq Abdullah over the phone last night and assured him of a thorough probe into the incident.
Fingers are being raised on the security and law and order situation in the Union territory where the police is directly under the control of the Union Home Minister and Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha instead of the elected government in J&K.
Omar Abdullah asked how such a breach could occur despite the 88 years old Farooq Abdullah, being a Z-Plus protectee, the highest level of civilian security in the country that entails round-the-clock protection by elite National Security Guard (NSG) commandos along with local police deployment. “It was only the close protection team that deflected the shot & ensured that the assassination attempt failed. There are more questions than answers at the moment including but not limited to how someone was able to get this close to a Z+ NSG protected former CM,” he wrote on X.
Omar flew to Jammu from Srinagar this morning and drove straight to his father’s home to enquire about his well being.
The firing episode unfolded in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, who also termed the incident a “serious security lapse” and demanded a thorough and transparent probe into how the attacker managed to approach the senior leader.
Choudhary said that apart from Abdullah’s NSG commandos, local police personnel were not present at the spot when the assassination bid took place, raising further concerns about the coordination of the security grid assigned to protect the former Chief Minister.
According to the Deputy Chief Minister, the assailant was eventually overpowered by his own security personnel, who detained the attacker and transported him in his vehicle for handing him over to the police.
“God saved me”, Farooq Abdullah told reporters at his residence on Thursday morning.
Sharing details about the incident at a wedding function in Jammu’s Greater Kailash area, he said, “I was walking out of the venue when I heard the sound of a firecracker. Immediately, I was rushed into a car. Later, I was told that there was a man with a pistol who had fired two shots. Neither do I know this man (the accused), nor do I have any information about him.”
Farooq further said, “I don’t know what his intention was. To say it was a security lapse would be a big statement to make. Many big personalities were present at this wedding, but there was no police present. By Allah’s grace, my security was present with me, and my life was saved”.
“I did get a call from the Union Home Minister who asked me about my well-being and assured me that they would investigate the matter. An inquiry should be done. Such things keep happening when there is a situation of hatred now”.
“No matter how much security you increase, the killer always has an advantage. The problem is that we live in an era where terrorism is up in the sky, and we cannot control it,” he added.