Daijiworld Media Network - Srinagar
Srinagar, Oct 18: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has termed the reported attack on a Srinagar-bound passenger bus in Haryana “unfortunate” and urged the Haryana government to take strict action against those responsible.
The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), in a post on X, said the incident involving a Jammu and Kashmir-bound bus had been taken up with the Haryana government, expressing concern over the safety and well-being of the passengers.
“The Haryana administration has assured prompt and stringent action in accordance with the law. The J&K Government stands with the affected passengers and is closely monitoring the situation,” the CMO said.
Abdullah also shared a video clip of the incident on his X handle and called for swift action against the culprits.
“This unfortunate incident should never have taken place. I hope the Haryana government lead by @NayabSainiBJPji & @police_haryana catch the culprits & take action to ensure these things don’t happen again,” he wrote.
Senior religious leader and Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also expressed serious concern over the incident, in which an elderly passenger was reportedly injured.
In a post on X, Mirwaiz said, “Disturbed to learn about the attack on a Kashmir bound bus in Haryana, leaving an elderly passenger injured and others traumatised. Reports of threats against J&K-registered vehicles are causing concern among people.”
He urged the authorities to ensure the safety of Kashmiri travellers and take swift and strict legal action against those responsible.
According to reports, a Delhi-Srinagar passenger bus operated by Star World Ventures was attacked with stones and bricks near Kurukshetra in Haryana on the night of October 17-18. The incident left an elderly Kashmiri passenger injured and caused damage to the vehicle.
The attack reportedly occurred around 10.45 pm on Saturday near Divine Star Dhaba in the Kurukshetra-Karnal region along the route.
The Jammu and Kashmir-registered sleeper bus, carrying around 40 passengers from Delhi to Srinagar, was allegedly targeted after a group of men arrived in a car during a stop and abused and assaulted the driver.
The attackers reportedly returned later on motorcycles and pelted the bus with stones and bricks, shattering its windowpanes and injuring an elderly passenger.
According to reports, the group returned a third time and allegedly threatened that Jammu and Kashmir-registered vehicles would not be allowed to operate in Haryana.
A brief confrontation followed the incident, during which police temporarily detained some passengers before releasing them.
The incident has raised concerns over the safety of Kashmiri passengers travelling through Haryana, with political and religious leaders calling for accountability and measures to prevent similar attacks.