Jammu, 12 March (H.S.): The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) on Thursday staged a protest march in Jammu against the attack on its president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, demanding a thorough probe into the incident and “restoration of law and order”.

Abdullah (88) had a narrow escape when a gunman opened fire at him from behind while he was leaving a marriage function at Greater Kailash on the outskirts of Jammu on Wednesday night, officials said.

The police arrested the accused, identified as 63-year-old Kamal Singh Jamwal, a resident of Purani Mandi, who reportedly told investigators he had been waiting for an opportunity to target Abdullah for the past 20 years.

Carrying NC flags and placards reading “Restore law and order” and “Probe the firing incident”, hundreds of workers and leaders began their protest march from the party headquarters, Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan, in Jammu.

Raising slogans such as “We want justice” and “Farooq Abdullah zindabad”, the protesters marched towards the city centre. The police stopped them at Raghunath Bazaar, leading to a brief jostling as security personnel prevented them from moving ahead.

Some protesters, however, managed to move towards City Chowk, where they staged a brief dharna before dispersing.

Talking to reporters, former minister and senior NC leader Ajay Sadhotra termed the incident a “major security lapse”.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar