“God has saved me. I am fine,” said veteran politician and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah in his first reaction after a man allegedly tried to assassinate him during a wedding function in Jammu on Wednesday night.

The incident took place in the Greater Kailash area on the outskirts of the city. The attacker, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, allegedly tried to shoot Abdullah while he was leaving the venue after attending the wedding.

According to reports, the man came very close to the veteran leader from behind and opened fire. However, security personnel quickly reacted and overpowered the gunman before he could harm Abdullah.

Abdullah later said that the attacker had managed to get very close to him, even reaching behind his neck. But at the last moment, members of his security team, including personnel from the National Security Guard, stopped him.

The former chief minister was immediately moved to his car and taken away safely from the venue.

Security lapse raises questions

The incident has raised serious concerns about the security arrangements in Jammu and Kashmir. Abdullah is a Z-category protectee, which is one of the highest security levels provided to political leaders in India.

While Abdullah chose not to comment on the possible security lapse, his son and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah raised concerns in a post on X.

He said that a man carrying a loaded pistol was able to get very close to his father and even fire a shot. According to him, it was the quick action of the close protection team that deflected the shot and prevented the assassination attempt.

Omar Abdullah also questioned how the attacker managed to reach such close range despite his father being protected by NSG commandos.