Jammu, 12 Mar

Veteran politician and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday described his narrow escape from an assassination attempt as an act of divine intervention, while raising serious questions over the "total absence" of police deployment at a high-profile wedding where the incident took place.

The 88-year-old former chief minister was targeted atpoint-blank range on Wednesday night while leaving a marriage pavilion in the Greater Kailash area on the outskirts of Jammu.

"I am fine and God has saved me," Abdullah told PTI on Thursday morning.

The assailant, identified as 63-year-old Kamal Singh Jamwal, reportedly told investigators he had been waiting two decades for an opportunity to kill Abdullah as he had a "personal motive"

"I do not know that man, nor had anyone ever told me anything about him. As for what his motive was... how would I know what it could have been?" he told reporters at his residence.

Recounting the moments of the attack, Abdullah said he was about to step out of the wedding pavilion after the bride arrived when he heard what he initially thought was the sound of firecrackers.

"When the bride arrived, after that we took permission from them and we started leaving for home. I had just stepped out of the wedding pavilion (mandap) and was walking when I heard a sound like a firecracker. I thought someone must have burst a firecracker, because people often burst them at weddings," he said.

Abdullah, however, said he had later felt a burning sensation but did not realise at the time that it was a gunshot.

"Then I felt a kind of burning sensation, but at that moment I did not realise what had happened. In the meantime, they (security personnel) quickly pushed me into a car, and when they were seated, they told me, 'Sir, it was actually a pistol.' They said that the person had fired two shots at me," Abdullah said.

CCTV camera footage showed that the gunman had positioned himself directly behind Abdullah, but an alert police officer and an NSG commando held and overpowered the attacker, causing the weapon to misfire and hit the ground.

Asked about a possible security lapse, Abdullah said that it would be premature to make such claims, but said that many prominent people were present at the function, and adequate police arrangements should have been in place.

"It seems like there might have been a security lapse somewhere, but calling it a security lapse is a very big statement. The question is that many prominent people were present at this wedding, so the police should have taken proper precautions. But there was a total absence of police arrangement," he said.

Despite being a Z+ category protectee, Abdullah highlighteda glaring lack of basic security protocols at the venue.

He said the biggest issue is that there was no police presence at all. "Not for me alone, but many prominent people had come to that wedding. It was necessary to have protection at such an event, especially in the kind of environment we are living in today, where such elements exist. Precaution is necessary," Abdullah said.

The accused, a resident of Purani Mandi, remains in custody.

Abdullah said a proper inquiry should be conducted to determine the reasons behind the attack.

Abdullah credited his survival to the swift reactions of his Special Security Group (SSG) and NSG cover. "They stood in front of me and showed immense courage. That is why I am alive."

"I do not have enough words to praise them. There were people in the room with me, including local police personnel, security men who stayed with me, and members of the NSG, who stood in front of me to protect me," he said.

On whether the earlier downgrading of his security could have contributed to the incident, Abdullah said that increasing security alone does not fully eliminate risks.

"Even if you increase your security, remember one thing: the attacker always has the advantage. He knows where he wants to target you and what he wants to do. But I will not say that security should be increased further. That is not the main issue," he said.

He said terrorism continues to be a global challenge. "We live in an era where terrorism is hanging over us like something in the sky, and we cannot completely control it. Terror exists not only in our country but across the world. Anything can happen anywhere," he added.

His son and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had echoed concerns about security on X, questioning how an armed man reached point-blank range.

"There are more questions than answers at the moment... including how someone was able to get this close to a Z+ NSG-protected former CM," he said.

Top officials are currently reviewing security for all high-profile protectees in Jammu and Kashmir, with plans to upgrade convoy jammers and enforce stricter access controls at public events.