In a tragic incident, a sleeper bus travelling to Srinagar from Delhi was allegedly attacked with stones near Haryana's Kurukshetra. The incident reportedly left an elderly Kashmiri passenger injured. The bus was carrying around 40 passengers and had stopped at Divine Star Dhaba near Kurukshetra when the attack took place.The incident has been condemned by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who urged the Haryana government and police to identify the culprit and take necessary action.
Omar Abdullah's Response To The Incident
Abdullah responded to the post by Imran Nabi Dar, the head of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, who shared the allegations on X and called the incident a purported hate crime.
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“This unfortunate incident should never have taken place," Abdullah wrote on X.
“I hope the Haryana government led by Nayab Saini and Haryana Police catch the culprits & take action to ensure these things don’t happen again."
The Chief Minister's statement came amid social media calls for the Haryana government to look into the alleged attack and punish the culprits.
Was The Bus Targeted Due To Kashmiri Passengers?
In a post reshared by Abdullah, Imran Nabi Dar claimed the bus was targeted specifically because it was carrying Kashmiri passengers. He said an elderly Kashmiri man was injured in the attack, leaving the families on board feeling helpless and terrified.
“We condemn the murderous attack on innocent people and demand action against the perpetrators,” Dar wrote. He tagged Haryana Police and called on the authorities to take note of the incident, identify those involved and take proper action against them.
The allegation that the attack was driven by hatred towards Kashmiris has not been independently verified. Details about the reported stone-pelting, as well as who was behind it and why, remain unclear.
A video doing the rounds on social media appears to show damage to a luxury sleeper bus run by Star World Ventures, which operates services between Delhi and Srinagar. According to a post shared with the footage, the bus was allegedly pelted with stones near Kurukshetra in Haryana. The vehicle is said to have suffered heavy damage, with shattered windows, broken tail lights and a bent number plate.