Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration seems to be indifferent to the plight of the tourist couple from Rajasthan who were shot at by terrorists in Anantnag “because of their religion,” J&K National Conference president Farooq Abdullah told ThePrint Wednesday.
The former chief minister claimed the J&K administration was barely helping the couple. “Probably nobody is bothered because of his religion,” Abdullah said, adding that he had to dial Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin to “arrange for treatment, while the administration did not bother”.
Ahead of polling in Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat, a couple from Rajasthan was shot at by terrorists in Anantnag Saturday night. Though both suffered injuries, one of them was injured in the eye.
The couple — Tabrez and Farrah — were under treatment at the 92 Base Hospital of the Army in Srinagar, but the eye injury prompted the need for one of them to be shifted to Chennai for further treatment Wednesday.
Though Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma did claim that the state government will extend all possible help to the couple, Farooq Abdullah claimed Sharma’s assurances were not followed by any concrete action.
Following the attack Saturday night, J&K Police had in a post on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “Terrorist fired upon and injured a lady Farha R/O Jaipur and spouse Tabrez at Yannar, #Anantnag. Injured evacuated to hospital for treatment. Area cordoned off. Further details shall follow.”
#Terrorist fired upon and injured a lady Farha R/O Jaipur and spouse Tabrez at Yannar, #Anantnag. Injured evacuated to hospital for treatment. Area cordoned off. Further details shall follow.@JmuKmrPolice
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) May 18, 2024
That same day, former BJP sarpanch Aijaz Ahmad was shot dead in Shopian, part of the Anantnag-Rajouri seat that is to go to the polls in the sixth phase of the ongoing general election on 25 May. Besides parts of Shopian, this Lok Sabha seat also includes Anantnag and Kulgam districts.
#Terrorist fired upon a person Aijaz Ahmad at Heerpora, #Shopian. Injured evacuated. Area cordoned off. Further details to follow.@JmuKmrPolice
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) May 18, 2024
J&K People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, who is in the electoral fray from Anantnag-Rajouri seat, cited the attacks to corner the J&K administration.
“The timing of these attacks, given that polling in the south [southern Kashmir] was delayed without any reason, is cause for concern, especially keeping in mind the claims of normalcy touted by the Government of India,” she said.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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