Srinagar, Oct 19 (UNI) A Srinagar-bound private sleeper bus was targeted by unidentified men in Punjab late Sunday, marking the second stone-pelting incident involving buses operated by the same company in two days.
The latest incident occurred around 11 pm on the Delhi-Jammu highway near Ludhiana, when stones were hurled at the Volvo bus operated by Star World Ventures, according to its driver, Ishfaq Ahmad.
Speaking over the phone, Ahmad said the attack left passengers frightened, although no injuries were reported.
“We were coming from Delhi at a speed of around 70 kmph when stones were hurled at the bus. Thank God, all passengers are safe. The bus has strong glass windows, which helped protect them. There were 38 passengers on board, including women and children,” he said.
Following the incident, the driver stopped the bus and called the Punjab Police.
Ruling National Conference leader Imran Dar termed the attack a troubling news.
” Did the way the Haryana bus attackers were handled, embolden more perpetrators of hate? This time Punjab! These were tolerant areas, and now becoming rabid, anti-Kashmir, anti-Muslim hotspots. Exemplary action must be taken against the accused. Nothing less,” Dar said.
The incident comes a day after another bus operated by the same company, carrying passengers from Jammu and Kashmir, was attacked with stones and bricks at a roadside dhaba in Haryana’s Karnal district on Saturday night. That attack left a passenger and a worker injured, while two persons were arrested in connection with the incident. Karnal Police claimed the matter stemmed from a parking dispute and ruled out hate crime angle. The driver of the bus had alleged that the attackers called him a “terrorist” after noticing the vehicle’s registration number.
The Haryana attack had sparked widespread concern in Kashmir, with political and religious leaders demanding strict action against those responsible.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the incident and called on the Haryana government to take action against the accused.
