New Delhi, Mar 12: Union Health Minister and Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Jagat Prakash Nadda on Thursday condemned the assassination attempt attack on National Conference president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, describing it as a “matter of grave concern” and assuring that a thorough investigation will be carried out.
Addressing the Upper House of Parliament, Nadda said the Government of India is taking the incident very seriously and that the accused, who has already been taken into custody, will be investigated in detail.
“The incident that took place last night involving senior leader of Jammu and Kashmir and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah is a matter of great concern. The government is serious about this matter,” Nadda said.
He said that authorities will examine all aspects of the case, including the intentions and possible plans of the accused, so that such incidents do not occur again in the future.
“The accused has been arrested and his plans and motives will be investigated thoroughly. Necessary enquiries will be completed and appropriate action will be taken,” he said.
Nadda also stressed that the safety of citizens, including senior political leaders, remains a priority for the government.
“The Government of India is concerned about the life and safety of every citizen. As far as the security of Farooq Abdullah is concerned, all necessary investigations and measures will certainly be taken,” he said.
The BJP leader also cautioned against politicising the incident, saying that giving the issue a political angle would be inappropriate.
“It is not right to look at everything from a political point of view and give it a political angle,” he said, responding to allegations raised by opposition leaders in the House.
Nadda said accusations suggesting that the government had any role in the incident were baseless and unfortunate. He further said that the government remains committed to maintaining law and order and ensuring security for all citizens across the country.
Sinha assures thorough probe
Srinagar, Mar 12: A day after former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah survived an assassination attempt in Jammu, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday assured him (Dr Farooq) that thorough probe would be conducted into the incident.
Sources said that LG Sinha spoke to the National Conference President this morning and assured him that all the angles will be probed.
The Lieutenant Governor is understood to have told Dr Farooq that “J&K Director General of Police has been asked to leave no stone unturned in getting to the bottom of the incident and to ensure that action followed swiftly.”
Sources said that senior officials have been instructed to guarantee watertight security to protectees.
Pertinently, Dr Farooq Abdullah survived an assassination attempt at a wedding function in Jammu last night. A man carrying a loaded pistol managed to reach point-blank range and fire a shot. However, the alertness and swift action of the security personnel prevented the assailant from succeeding.
The close protection team of the veteran leader successfully deflected a shot fired at close range by the attacker. The attacker was identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal. He was overpowered by the security personnel and handed over to Police.
While talking to reporters in Jammu Dr Farooq said, “I survived an assassination attempt at a wedding function in Jammu last night by the grace of God, thanking his security personnel and colleagues for saving him from harm.”
Recounting the sequence of events he said, “I had gone to a wedding. When the bride arrived, we took permission from her and left the hall. As soon as I came out and was walking, I heard a sound like a cracker.”
He said, “I thought someone had burst a firecracker because that often happens at weddings. I felt a little heat near me, but I didn’t know what had happened. In the meantime, my security personnel quickly put me inside the car.”
He said his security personnel informed him that the man had fired two bullets from a pistol. “The man fired two bullets. The first one, I don’t know where it went. The second bullet, our security guards tried to pull his hand from behind. He got destabilized and the pistol moved upward. In the meantime, the security guard caught hold of the weapon,” Dr Farooq said.
