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Kashmir State's Chief Escapes Grenade Attack
SRINAGAR (News Agencies) - Two grenades were fired Sunday at Indian Kashmir's provincial chief Farooq Abdullah, but he escaped unhurt and vowed to press ahead with New Delhi's latest peace initiative in the region.
The police said 62-year-old Abdullah was inaugurating a bridge in Habba Kadal in the heart of downtown Srinagar, Indian Kashmir's summer capital, when individuals fired two rifle-propelled grenades at him.
"One grenade flew over the bridge where the chief minister and his entourage were standing. It was a lucky escape as the grenade exploded in Srinagar's Jhelum River. No one was hurt," he said.
The spokesman said the second grenade "fell short of its target" and hit a patch of road 200 meters (182 yards) from where Abdullah was standing.
"Police fired several rounds in the air to scare away the militants, while the chief minister's bodyguards threw a protective ring around him."
Abdullah's bodyguards then bundled him into his bulletproof car and sped away.
Kashmir's frontline Hizbul Mujahideen group claimed responsibility for the attack.
One of Abdullah's aides said the attack on the outspoken chief minister was aimed at "sabotaging" an ongoing Indian process to restore peace in disputed Kashmir.
Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who returned Sunday from a eight-day trip to Vietnam and Indonesia, reacted angrily to the bid on Abdullah's life.
"We heard about the abortive attempt on Abdullah and this attack is reprehensible.
"If the militants press on with terrorism then how can an atmosphere of peace be established [in Kashmir]," the Indian prime minister told reporters in New Delhi.
In Srinagar, Abdullah said the attack had left him unfazed.
"I will not be cowed by bullets and bombs and no one can stop me from my objectives of restoring peace in the state," he said, adding that the state police force was under his orders to attack when under fire.
"My orders to the police are wherever you find a militant, dispatch him as I do not want to fill jails," he said and attacked the All party Hurriyat Conference, an umbrella forum of Islamic groups of Kashmir.
"The militants and the Hizbul have only one plan, which is of taking Kashmir to Pakistan and that is not going to happen.
"The Hizbul Mujahideen does not want peace and is waging a war on innocent people."
Despite the warnings, the Hizbul vowed to continue attacks on Abdullah and other pro-India elements.
"We have been attacking Farooq Abdullah and other pro-India elements in the past and we will continue such attacks as long as they continue to betray the cause of Kashmiris," Hizbul spokesman Salim Hashmi said from Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.
"Abdullah and other vested interests have been strengthening illegal occupation of Kashmir by India, ignoring the sentiments and aspirations of the people of Kashmir," Hashmi said.
"Their attitude was nothing but betrayal with the blood of more than 80,000 martyrs," he said.
"Unless pro-India rulers and politicians [in Indian Kashmir] give up perfidy towards Kashmiris' cause and rather join the ongoing struggle, they will continue to face such attacks," Hashmi declared.
Kashmir groups, including the Hizbul, rejected a unilateral ceasefire by India announced for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, that was extended for another four weeks until January 26th.
Pakistan and India have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, which is claimed by both and divided between them.
New Delhi accuses Islamabad of fermenting insurgency in Indian Kashmir, where the conflict has claimed more than 34,000 lives since 1989.
Pakistan denies the charge but extends moral and diplomatic support to what it terms the legitimate Kashmiri struggle for self-rule.
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