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'God saved me': Farooq Abdullah recounts Jammu wedding attack ordeal
Recalling the incident, Farooq Abdullah said he was unaware that a gun had been fired at him at that moment.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said he initially mistook the gunshot fired near him at a wedding function in Jammu for a firecracker, adding that “God saved me” from the attack.
Abdullah was speaking hours after a man allegedly opened fire at him while he was leaving a marriage function in Jammu. The shot missed the veteran leader and the gunman was immediately overpowered by security personnel present at the venue.
Recalling the incident, the 88-year-old National Conference president said he was unaware that a gun had been fired at him at that moment.
“I had gone to the wedding. After the event was done, I headed back for my home. The moment I stepped out of the wedding pavilion, I heard a loud bang,” Abdullah said.
“I thought they use firecrackers in weddings, so one of them must have fallen near me. I could also feel something hot near me. They later told me that this was due to a gun being fired. That’s all I know. Neither do I know this man, nor do I know anything about him,” he added.
Abdullah said he survived the incident by divine grace. “God saved me,” he said.
Police have arrested the accused, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, a 63-year-old resident of Jammu. Officials said the weapon used in the incident was a licensed firearm and ruled out any terror angle.
The firing took place when Abdullah was leaving the wedding venue after attending the function for more than an hour. Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and senior National Conference leader Nasir Aslam Wani were also present at the event.
Security personnel quickly intervened and subdued the attacker before he could cause further harm. The firearm used in the incident has been seized and an investigation is underway.
