Jammu, March 12: The BJP on Thursday strongly condemned the attack on National Conference president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, saying “targeting political leaders through violence is unacceptable” and demanded a thorough probe into the incident.
Abdullah 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.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and advisor to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Nasir Aslam Wani, were also accompanying Abdullah when the incident occurred.
The accused, identified as 63-year-old Kamal Singh Jamwal, a resident of Purani Mandi in Jammu, was arrested and told police that he had been waiting for an opportunity to target Abdullah for the past 20 years.
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.
He stressed the need to maintain a healthy political environment in Jammu and Kashmir and said targeting political leaders through violence is unacceptable.
“A thorough and transparent probe should be conducted into the incident so that the circumstances surrounding the attack can be properly examined,” he said.
Party spokesperson Tahir Chowdhary said attempts to harm political leaders undermine democracy and create an atmosphere of fear and instability. He lauded the prompt action of security personnel in preventing any loss of life.
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.
