After Haryana Incident, Another Sleeper Bus Carrying Passengers to Srinagar Attacked in Punjab

A private sleeper Volvo bus travelling to Srinagar was allegedly attacked by unidentified persons near Ludhiana late Sunday night, a day after a similar incident involving a bus carrying passengers from Jammu and Kashmir in Haryana.
 

Ishfaq Ahmad, the driver of the bus operated by Star World Ventures, told The Tribune over the phone that the incident occurred at around 11 pm on the Delhi-Jammu National Highway near Ludhiana. According to him, a group of unidentified people suddenly approached the bus and began pelting it with stones while it was on its way to Srinagar.
 

The driver said all passengers were safe, but the incident left them deeply frightened. He added that women and children were sleeping in the seats towards which the stones were thrown.
 

“Thankfully, all the passengers are safe,” Ahmad said, describing the situation as frightening for those on board.
 

The driver said the bus operator contacted the Punjab Police immediately after the incident. Police personnel subsequently escorted the bus for several kilometres to ensure the passengers’ safety. The bus has since resumed its journey to Srinagar.
 

The incident comes a day after a private sleeper bus carrying passengers from Jammu and Kashmir was attacked with stones and bricks at a roadside eatery near Nilokheri in Haryana on Saturday night. One passenger and one worker were injured in that incident, and two people have been arrested in connection with the case.
 

The Haryana attack has triggered a major controversy in the Kashmir Valley, with religious and political leaders demanding strict action against those responsible. The driver of the bus targeted in Haryana had alleged that the attackers looked at the vehicle’s number plate and called him a “terrorist”.
 

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah strongly condemned the Haryana incident and urged the state government to take stringent action against the accused.
 

However, Haryana Police ruled out a hate-crime angle, claiming that the incident stemmed from a minor road-related argument.
 

The latest attack in Punjab has raised fresh concerns over the safety of passengers travelling on the route to Srinagar.