Jammu, March 12 -- Cutting across party lines, political leaders in Kashmir on Thursday condemned the attack on National Conference president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah in Jammu and demanded a thorough probe into the incident.

Leaders from the BJP, Congress and PDP demanded accountability from those responsible for security, while the National Conference termed the incident a "major security lapse" and sought a detailed investigation.

An attempt on the life Abdullah while he was attending a marriage ceremony here was thwarted by alert security personnel, police said, adding that the accused was arrested and the pistol used in the incident has been seized.

According to police, the incident took place at the Royal Park wedding venue in the posh Greater Kailash locality of Jammu late Wednesday when Abdullah was leaving the function after attending the ceremony along with Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary.

"The security deployed with the protectee immediately swung into action, thwarted the attempt and took the accused into custody, who was later identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, a resident of Purani Mandi in Jammu," police said in a statement.

Officials said the accused was waiting outside the venue and attempted to fire at Abdullah as he stepped out after attending the function. Two police personnel - an inspector and a sub-inspector - quickly overpowered him, but the accused managed to fire one shot before he was disarmed and taken into custody.

Abdullah and Choudhary had attended the wedding to greet party leader B S Chouhan on the marriage of his son, officials said.

Meanwhile, a court here remanded the accused to five-day police custody for questioning. The 63-year-old accused, Jamwal, was produced before the city court amid tight security.

Investigators said the accused reportedly told them he had been waiting nearly two decades for an opportunity to kill Abdullah as he had a "personal motive".

Abdullah described his narrow escape from the assassination attempt as an act of divine intervention while raising serious questions over the "total absence" of police deployment at the high-profile wedding where the incident occurred.

"I am fine and God has saved me," Abdullah said.

He said he did not know the accused and was unaware of any motive behind the alleged attack.

Recounting the moments of the attack, Abdullah said he initially mistook the gunshot for the sound of firecrackers, which are commonly burst during wedding celebrations.

"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 said he later felt a burning sensation but did not immediately realise that it was a gunshot. "...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.

Asked about a possible security lapse, Abdullah said it would be premature to draw conclusions but noted that several prominent people were present at the function.

Following the incident, Union Home minister Amit Shah spoke with Abdullah to enquire about his well-being and assured a thorough investigation into the attack.

Abdullah credited his survival to the swift reactions of his Special Security Group and NSG cover. "They stood in front of me and showed immense courage."

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.