Jammu

Members of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Saturday unanimously condemned the assassination attempt on Farooq Abdullah and called for a judicial probe into the incident.

Legislators from both treasury and opposition benches described the attack as “deeply disturbing” and a serious security lapse, demanding that the assailant be treated as a terrorist.

Abdullah, a former chief minister and president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, had a narrow escape on March 11 when a man allegedly opened fire at point-blank range while he was leaving a wedding function in Jammu’s Greater Kailash area. The accused was immediately overpowered and arrested with a revolver.

Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a Deputy Inspector General, to probe the attack.

During the Assembly session, several National Conference legislators sought an adjournment motion to discuss the matter. Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, however, allowed a discussion after Question Hour, citing the seriousness of the issue.

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Supporting the discussion, BJP leader Surjit Singh Slathia said Abdullah is a “towering political personality” and the matter deserves thorough scrutiny.