A Srinagar-bound passenger bus was pelted with stones near Ludhiana in Punjab late Sunday night, marking the second such incident involving buses operated by the same company in two days and raising concerns over the safety of Kashmiri passengers travelling through other states.
The incident took place around 11 pm on the Delhi-Jammu highway near Ludhiana. The 40-seater sleeper Volvo bus, operated by Star World Ventures, was travelling from Delhi to Srinagar when unidentified people allegedly hurled stones at it, damaging its windowpanes.
The bus driver, Ishfaq Ahmad, said the attack frightened passengers, including women, children and elderly people who were travelling on board.
“Some people came and threw stones at our bus. Thank God, the passengers are safe. Children and women were sleeping on the seats at which the stones were hurled,” Ahmad told The Tribune over the phone.
He said stones struck the moving bus at four points, causing damage and creating panic among passengers.
“Is it a sin to travel on this road?” Ahmad said.
Following the incident, the driver contacted Punjab Police. Police personnel reportedly escorted the bus for several kilometres. The bus continued its journey towards Srinagar, and no injuries were reported in the latest incident.
“They have attacked two of our buses in two days. Who will compensate for the losses?” Ahmad said.
Second Attack After Incident in Haryana
The latest attack comes a day after another bus operated by Star World Ventures was attacked with stones and bricks near a roadside dhaba in Haryana’s Karnal district on Saturday night.
The earlier incident took place near Divine Star Dhaba in the Nilokheri area. A passenger and a worker were injured, and the bus’s windowpanes were damaged. Haryana Police arrested two people in connection with the attack.
The driver of the Haryana-bound incident, Waqar Chowdhary, alleged that the attackers objected to the Jammu and Kashmir-registered bus being parked near the dhaba and used the word “terrorist” against him.
“One of the men shouted, ‘Atankwadi gaadi nikal yahan se’,” Waqar said, alleging that the men told him that vehicles from Jammu and Kashmir should not be allowed to operate in Haryana.
Police, however, said the Haryana incident stemmed from a dispute over parking and ruled out a hate crime angle, according to reports.
National Conference Demands Strict Action
The two incidents have triggered concern among political leaders and civil society groups in Jammu and Kashmir.
National Conference spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar condemned the latest attack in Punjab and questioned whether the handling of the earlier incident in Haryana had emboldened others.
“Troubling news! Did the way the Haryana bus attackers were handled, embolden more perpetrators of hate? This time Punjab,” Dar wrote on X.
He called for exemplary action against those responsible.
Jammu and Kashmir Students Association national convener Nasir Khuehami also questioned why Kashmiri passengers should fear for their safety while travelling through different parts of the country.
He urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the state’s Director General of Police to take immediate cognisance of the incident, conduct a thorough and impartial investigation, identify those responsible and ensure strict legal action.
“No one should be targeted, threatened, or intimidated because of their identity or place of origin,” Khuehami said.
He added that repeated attacks on Kashmir-bound vehicles raised serious concerns about the safety of passengers.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had also condemned the earlier attack in Haryana and urged the state government to take action against those responsible.
