SRINAGAR: A wave of anger and anxiety has swept across Jammu and Kashmir after a Srinagar‑bound luxury bus was attacked in Haryana late Saturday night, leaving an elderly Kashmiri passenger injured and dozens of travellers shaken.
The incident, which occurred around 10.45 pm near Divine Star Dhaba in Kurukshetra, has triggered widespread condemnation from political leaders, civil society, religious figures and transport associations, all urging swift legal action and concrete assurances of safety for Kashmiri travellers.
The bus, operated by Kashmir‑based Star World Ventures, was travelling from Delhi to Srinagar with nearly 40 passengers on board when unidentified persons allegedly abused the driver and began pelting stones and bricks at the vehicle. Windowpanes and tail lights were shattered, and debris scattered across the sleeping compartments. “They smashed the windows and tail lights, leaving shards of glass strewn across the sleeping berths. Heavy bricks were hurled into the bus with enough force to tear through the compartments,” a traveler recounted. The coach driver said the ringleader of the attackers shouted, “You people are terrorists. I will not allow Jammu and Kashmir vehicles to operate in Haryana,” before the assault began. An elderly Kashmiri man sustained facial injuries, seen bleeding in videos circulating online.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah immediately took up the matter with the Haryana government, calling the attack “unfortunate” and urging strict action. His office said it had conveyed concerns regarding passenger safety and received assurances of “prompt and stringent action in accordance with law.” Abdullah posted on ‘X’, “I hope the Haryana government led by Nayab Singh Saini and Haryana Police catch the culprits & take action to ensure these things don’t happen again.”
Political leaders across the spectrum echoed similar sentiments. Chief Muslim cleric Mirwaiz Muhammad Umar Farooq in a social media post 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. Those in authority must ensure the safety of Kashmiri travellers and take swift and strict legal action against those responsible.”
Ruling National Conference (NC) spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar termed the incident a hate crime, saying families on board were left “helpless and terrified.” PDP leader Waheed Parra alleged that hatred was making ordinary Kashmiris unsafe and raised concerns over reports that police detained a Kashmiri passenger for nearly two hours after the attack. “The authorities must explain why a victim of the attack was detained without any apparent reason,” he said.
Former minister and J&K Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone called the attack disturbing and driven by prejudice, stressing that targeting a vehicle carrying ordinary citizens “must not go unchallenged.” Rajya Sabha MP Chowdry Muhammad Ramzan described the stone‑pelting as unacceptable and urged Haryana Police to ensure strict legal action.
BJP leader Zorawar Singh Jamwal condemned the incident as a serious law‑and‑order failure and urged authorities to take swift action against those involved.
Civil society voices also weighed in strongly. Grand Mufti Nasir‑ul‑Islam Farooqi demanded an impartial investigation, while the J&K Students Association’s national convenor Nasir Khuehami issued a detailed statement condemning the attack, questioning why Kashmiris should fear for their lives simply because their vehicles bear J&K registration numbers. “The hatred directed at Kashmiris cannot be normalised,” he wrote, adding that India’s unity must reflect equality and dignity for all citizens.
Transporters too expressed alarm. Kashmir Transporters Federation president Mir Mohammad Shafi said the incident had deeply distressed transport operators and raised concerns about whether Kashmiris were being prevented from earning livelihoods outside the Union Territory. He urged the governments of Haryana and Delhi to ensure the safety of Kashmiri transporters and passengers.
While Star World Ventures confirmed the attack, the identity of the assailants had not been officially established at the time of filing this report, and the police version was still awaited.
Meanwhile, the Karnal (Haryana) Police have registered an FIR and detained two men in connection with the incident, maintaining that the episode stemmed from a parking dispute and bore no hate-crime angle.
According to a police spokesperson, information about the incident was received at Butana Police Station around 10 pm on October 17, following which a police team rushed to the spot near Divine Star Dhaba. Upon reaching the location, officers found the bus windows damaged. A preliminary inquiry revealed that an argument had broken out between the bus driver and occupants of a private car over a parking-related issue.
The spokesperson said two accused, identified as Mohit and Sawan, both residents of Karnal district, allegedly damaged the bus windowpanes during the altercation, leaving one passenger injured.
“No formal complaint was initially lodged as the parties had reportedly reached a mutual compromise, following which the bus continued its journey towards Srinagar,” an officer told the local news agency KNO.
However, an FIR was later registered at Butana Police Station after a complaint was submitted by the manager of Divine Star Hotel/Dhaba. Police said both accused have since been detained, while the Maruti Baleno car (registration number HR05BQ2412) allegedly involved in the incident has also been taken into custody.
“Further legal proceedings are underway,” the officer said.
Karnal Police also urged the public not to believe rumours circulating on social media, reiterating that the incident arose from a parking dispute and dismissing reports suggesting any communal or hate-crime motive behind the attack.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
