Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge. File | Photo credit: ANI
Calling on the recent attack on former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said there has been a serious deterioration in law and order in Jammu and Kashmir since the Union Home Ministry took over security after statehood was revoked.
The incident showed that “the people of Kashmir are not safe”, he said in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday (March 12, 2026), hinting at a larger conspiracy targeting senior leaders.
Speaker of the House and Union Minister JP Nadda promised a comprehensive probe into the “murderous attack” but also accused the opposition of politicizing the incident.
“Dividing Law and Order”
“His security is at risk because the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir has been revoked,” Mr. Kharge said, adding that when security and police were under an elected state government, “no such incident could have happened.” He reiterated that the current situation stemmed from the Centre’s taking charge of security, and claimed that law and order had “collapsed” and that conspiracies were being hatched to “eliminate important leaders”.
Referring to the Wednesday (March 11, 2026) night incident in suburban Jammu, Mr Kharge said Mr Abdullah was “saved by a whisker” after a man allegedly fired at him while he was leading a wedding party. The accused, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, was quickly overpowered and taken into custody.
“Is it the government’s intention to kill Farooq Abdullah?” asked Mr. Kharge. If he was to protect him, he argued, the former chief minister would be given full security cover.
‘security error’
Insisting that the people will be safe only when Jammu and Kashmir regains statehood, the Congress chief told the Centre: “The people of Kashmir are not safe in your hands.” He further claimed that the conspiracy targeted people who stand for secularism, socialism and national unity.
National Conference MP Chowdry Mohammad Ramzan also questioned the security failure, claiming there was no police protection around Mr Abdullah at the time of the attack. “Where were the police?” he asked, demanding an immediate increase in security for the leader.
A thorough investigation
Responding to the concerns, Mr Nadda said the government would take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Mr Abdullah. Calling the incident a “murderous attack” and “a matter of grave concern”, he assured the Rajya Sabha that the Union government was treating it seriously and would conduct a thorough investigation, including determining the motive.
However, Mr Nadda also criticized the opposition for politicizing the issue, saying linking the attack to statelessness or an alleged conspiracy was “reprehensible”. He also countered by questioning the Congress on the unresolved circumstances surrounding the death of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee in Srinagar in 1953.
Published – 12 March 2026 21:28 IST
