Abdullah on Sunday said his office had raised the incident with the Haryana administration, which had 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 Chief Minister said in a post on his official X handle.
The incident reportedly took place around 10:45 pm on October 17 near Divine Star Dhaba, where the bus operated by Star World Ventures had stopped during its journey from Delhi to Srinagar.
According to accounts circulating on social media, some unidentified persons allegedly began abusing the bus driver before hurling stones and bricks at the vehicle. The attack reportedly damaged the bus’s windowpanes and tail lights, while an elderly passenger sustained injuries.
Videos shared online purportedly show shattered windows, debris scattered inside the bus and an injured elderly passenger with blood on his face. Another video appeared to show damage to the vehicle’s exterior, including its registration plate.
Claims that the bus was targeted because it bore a Jammu and Kashmir registration number have also circulated on social media. However, the motive behind the alleged attack has not been independently established.
In an earlier post on his personal X handle, Abdullah had urged his Haryana counterpart, Nayab Singh Saini, to ensure that those responsible were identified and brought to justice.
“This unfortunate incident should never have taken place. I hope the Haryana government led by @NayabSainiBJP ji and @police_haryana catch the culprits and take action to ensure these things don’t happen again,” he had said.
National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar strongly condemned the incident, describing it as a hate crime and demanding strict action against the perpetrators.
“Stones and bricks pelted on Kashmir bus, on Delhi to Srinagar route, near Kurukshetra Haryana in an alleged hate crime. One elderly Kashmiri man injured in the attack, families left helpless and terrified,” Dar posted on X.
He also condemned what he described as a “murderous attack on innocent people” and called for accountability.
Peoples Democratic Party MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra also denounced the incident, saying that “hate is making ordinary Kashmiris unsafe.”
The reported attack has raised concerns over the safety of passengers travelling between Delhi and Srinagar, particularly amid claims that the vehicle may have been targeted because of its registration number.
The Haryana administration’s assurance of action was conveyed by Abdullah, who said the Jammu and Kashmir government was standing with the affected passengers and monitoring the situation.
Further details regarding the injured passenger’s condition, the identification of those allegedly involved and the status of the police investigation were not independently verified at the time of filing this report. (KDC)
