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Jammu: “God saved me,” said former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, recalling a narrow escape from an assassination attempt during a marriage function here on Wednesday, March 11 night. He also voiced concern over the alleged lack of adequate police security at the venue.

The assailant, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, allegedly targeted Abdullah — president of the ruling National Conference — during the event in the Greater Kailash area on the outskirts of the city.

“I am fine and God has saved me,” Abdullah told PTI on Thursday, March 12 morning.

Recounting the chilling moment, he said the assailant had managed to get right behind him.

“I had stepped out of the wedding pavilion shortly after the bride arrived and was leaving for home when I heard what I initially thought were firecrackers. Then I felt a burning sensation, but at that moment I did not realise what had happened,” he said.

According to him, a second shot was prevented when security personnel and others intervened.

“One person tried to pull him back by his arm from behind, which destabilised him. At that moment, his pistol misfired. Meanwhile, the security personnel managed to grab the pistol from his hand, but another shot went off,” he said.

“They quickly put me into my car and told me, ‘Sir, it was actually a pistol.’ They said that the person had fired two shots at me,” Abdullah said.

The 88-year-old veteran leader said he does not know the man who attacked him.

“I do not know that man… As for his motive, how would I know that?” he told reporters at his Bhatindi residence here.

Jamwal, 63, is a resident of Purani Mandi, and during initial questioning at the police station on Wednesday night, he reportedly told investigators that he had been wanting to kill Abdullah for the last 20 years.

“Today I got an opportunity, but he escaped,” he is believed to have told the police.

Investigators repeatedly questioned him about the motive behind holding a grudge against Abdullah for two decades, but Jamwal said the reason was “personal”.

Never harboured ill towards anyone: Abdullah

Abdullah said he had never harboured ill will towards anyone and had always tried to help people regardless of political affiliations.

The former chief minister also raised concerns over security arrangements, noting there was no police presence at the venue despite the attendance of several prominent figures.

“The biggest issue is that there was no police presence there at all. Many prominent people had come to the wedding. It was necessary to have protection at such an event, especially in the kind of environment we are living in today.”

Calling for a thorough probe, Abdullah said authorities must ascertain what exactly happened and why adequate arrangements were not made.

“When such incidents keep occurring, especially in the kind of environment we are living in today, where a web of hatred has spread, people must exercise caution,” he said.

Abdullah said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had called him after the incident and assured him that the matter would be thoroughly investigated.

“He asked how I was. I told him, ‘By the grace of God, I am safe.’ He said they had caught the person and that an investigation would be conducted, and they would inform me about what exactly happened,” Abdullah said.

Praising his security personnel for their swift response, the former chief minister said that his personal security officers (PSOs) and NSG men, along with other security personnel present at the venue, acted bravely to protect him.

“I do not have enough words to praise them,” he said.

Attack on Abdullah, a Z+ category protectee, has triggered serious concerns

On whether the downgrading of his security could have contributed to the incident, Abdullah said that increasing security alone does not fully eliminate risks.

The attack on Abdullah, a Z+ category protectee, has triggered serious concerns regarding the security apparatus in the sensitive Union Territory. Under standard protocol for such high-profile figures, the area should have been sanitised and strict access control enforced.

His son and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed concern in a post on X.

“….what is known is that a man with a loaded pistol was able to get within point-blank range and discharge a shot. It was only the close protection team that deflected the shot and ensured the assassination attempt failed,” he said.

Following the incident, the chief minister reached Jammu and drove straight to his father’s residence.

Top officials are now reviewing the security of all central government protectees in Jammu and Kashmir. Measures to further tighten protection are underway, including the upgrading of jammers used in convoys.

NC takes out protest following the attack

The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) staged a protest march in Jammu on Thursday against the attack on its president, demanding a thorough probe into the incident and “restoration of law and order.”

The police arrested the accused, identified as 63-year-old Kamal Singh Jamwal, a resident of Purani Mandi, who reportedly told investigators he had been waiting for an opportunity to target Abdullah for the past 20 years.

Carrying NC flags and placards reading “Restore law and order” and “Probe the firing incident”, hundreds of workers and leaders began their protest march from the party headquarters, Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan, in Jammu.

Raising slogans such as “We want justice” and “Farooq Abdullah zindabad”, the protesters marched towards the city centre. The police stopped them at Raghunath Bazaar, leading to a brief jostling as security personnel prevented them from moving ahead.

Some protesters, however, managed to move towards City Chowk, where they staged a brief dharna before dispersing.

Talking to reporters, former minister and senior NC leader Ajay Sadhotra termed the incident a “major security lapse”.

“They had gone to attend the wedding. Dr Sahib, the deputy chief minister and other senior leaders were present, but there was not even a single security person at the venue. How could a person carrying a weapon enter the premises if proper checking was being conducted?” he said.