- J&K CM sought Haryana action, assured prompt legal investigation.
A Delhi-Srinagar bus driver has alleged that a group of men assaulted him, smashed the vehicle’s number plates and threatened to shoot him and set the bus on fire over its Jammu and Kashmir registration in Haryana’s Karnal district. Waqar said the incident took place at a hotel in Nilokheri, where the bus had stopped for dinner. The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said on Sunday it had taken up the matter with the Haryana government, which assured prompt and stringent action under the law.
‘Atankwadi Gaadi’
Speaking to ANI, Waqar said a group of men were sitting in a car with a Haryana registration number in the hotel parking area when he arrived. About a minute after he parked the bus, one of them allegedly shouted, “Atankwadi gaadi nikal yahan se” (Terrorist vehicle, move it out of here).
#WATCH | Jammu, J&K: Bus driver of the Delhi-Srinagar passenger bus, Waqar, says, “I was traveling from Delhi towards Srinagar; we stopped for dinner at the Divine Star Hotel in Nilokheri, past Karnal in Haryana. Some men were sitting in the parking area. A small car, Baleno with a Haryana registration, was already parked there. About a minute after I parked my vehicle, someone shouted from nearby, ‘Atankwadi gaadi nikal yahan se’, demanding that I move the vehicle. I asked, ’ What’s the matter? He said, ‘Move the vehicle! Get it out of here, quickly! You cannot park here; we won’t allow it. A vehicle from J&K cannot be parked here.’ He then struck the front windshield and began assaulting me… They started by smashing the front license plate, then moved to the rear one, joined by others. They kept saying that a vehicle from Jammu & Kashmir shouldn’t be in Haryana… The men kept threatening us, saying, ‘We will shoot you, we will set the vehicle on fire, we will kill you.’ We want justice; such acts of hooliganism must stop. We all have to use the roads—vehicles from their side travel to our region as well—and such behavior only creates a hostile environment for both sides…” He adds, “There were 35 passengers in total; 80% were outside, only 4-5 were inside. This is a 40-seater vehicle, and it is permitted for 40 passengers. They are all sleeper berths.”
— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2026
When Waqar asked what the problem was, the men allegedly told him that a Jammu and Kashmir-registered vehicle would not be allowed to park there.
The driver said one of the men then struck the front windshield, entered the bus and assaulted him. He alleged that the attackers smashed the front number plate before removing the rear plate and taking it away.
“There was no prior dispute or conversation at all. He targeted the vehicle solely because of its J&K registration,” the driver alleged.
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‘We Want justice’
Waqar said the men continued to threaten the passengers and staff, allegedly warning that they would shoot them, set the bus on fire and kill them.
“This is sheer hooliganism (gundagardi). God forbid, if most passengers hadn’t deboarded, lives could have been lost,” he said, demanding justice and calling for such incidents to stop.
The driver said 35 passengers were travelling on the 40-berth sleeper bus, with around 80 per cent having stepped out for dinner when the incident occurred. Only four or five passengers were still inside.
He also called for restraint, pointing out that vehicles from Haryana travel to Jammu and Kashmir and vice versa, and warning that such behaviour could create hostility between people on both sides.
J&K Seeks Action
In a post on X, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister’s Office said it had raised the incident with the Haryana government, expressing concern for the safety and well-being of the passengers.
“The Haryana administration has assured prompt and stringent action in accordance with the law,” the CMO said, adding that the Jammu and Kashmir government stood with the affected passengers and was closely monitoring the situation.
The bus has reached Jammu and is continuing its journey to Srinagar.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
