Reasi, Jammu and Kashmir – In a tragic incident on Sunday evening, nine pilgrims were killed and 33 injured after a bus carrying them came under terrorist fire and subsequently plunged into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district. The attack adds to the escalating violence in the region, where since 2021, 38 soldiers and 11 civilians have lost their lives in militant attacks in Rajouri and Poonch districts.
Incident Details
Reasi Senior Superintendent of Police, Mohita Sharma, reported that the militants had been lying in wait for the bus, which had departed from Shivpuri and was en route to Katra. The sudden gunfire caused the driver to lose control, resulting in the bus veering off the road and falling into a gorge. “Rescue operations have been completed – nine people are dead, and the 33 injured have been hospitalized. The people on the bus are not locals, but their identities are yet to be confirmed. So far, we’ve learned that they may be from Uttar Pradesh,” Sharma said.
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Response and Investigation
Asked about prior indications of militant activity in the area, Sharma stated, “Whenever there’s an incident of militancy, we are on high alert… The Shivpuri shrine had been secured, and in adjoining areas too, we had been conducting area domination activities.” The SSP, along with senior civil and police officials, including Deputy Commissioner Vishesh Pal Mahajan, were at the site, overseeing the ongoing search operations conducted by police and security forces.
I am anguished by the terrorist attack on a bus carrying pilgrims in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. This dastardly act is a crime against humanity, and must be condemned in the strongest words. The nation stands with the families of the victims. I pray for the speedy…
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) June 9, 2024
I strongly condemn the cowardly terror attack on a bus in Reasi. My condolences to the family members of the martyred civilians. Our security forces and JKP have launched a joint operation to hunt down the terrorists.
— Office of LG J&K (@OfficeOfLGJandK) June 9, 2024
According to local reports, two masked militants opened fire on the bus, hitting the driver and some passengers. While locals claimed three passengers died from bullet injuries and the rest in the bus crash, officials stated that this can only be confirmed after post-mortem examinations.
The victims had visited the Shiv Khori shrine, a revered Lord Shiva site near Ransoo, and were headed to Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in the Trikuta Hills. The ambush occurred at approximately 6:15 pm, causing the 53-seater bus to plunge into a deep gorge.
Government and Public Reactions
In response to the tragedy, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹10 lakh for the next of kin of those killed and ₹50,000 for those injured. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other political leaders, including Amit Shah, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, condemned the attack and expressed their condolences.
President Murmu described the act as a “crime against humanity” and called for its strongest condemnation. Prime Minister Modi directed LG Sinha to ensure all possible assistance to the affected families and closely monitor the situation. Amit Shah, having recently taken his oath as a union minister, pledged that those responsible for the attack would face severe consequences.
Security Measures and Investigations
Reasi SSP Sharma confirmed that the incident was a “clear case of a terror attack” and detailed the immediate rescue operation and hospitalization of the injured. The identities of those killed and injured are being ascertained, with preliminary information suggesting they are from Uttar Pradesh. Locals and witnesses reported harrowing accounts of the attack, with survivors describing the bus being hit by 25 to 30 shots before it crashed into the gorge. Another witness recounted seeing a masked assailant with a red muffler firing at the bus.
Increased security measures have been implemented, with the Shiv Khori temple fully secured and area domination patrols conducted regularly. A joint security force comprising police, army, and CRPF has established a temporary operation headquarters at the site to hunt down the attackers. Additionally, locals, angered by the attack, have staged protests across the Jammu division, demanding strict action against the terrorists.
Ongoing Operations
A multidimensional operation involving the police, army, and CRPF is underway to target the attackers. Authorities have also started firing practice for Village Defence Guards, placing them on high alert to prevent future incidents.
This attack marks a disturbing continuation of militant violence in Jammu and Kashmir, with authorities and locals alike calling for decisive action against the perpetrators to restore peace and security in the region.
In a surprising move, VK Pandian, the trusted aide of former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, announced his retirement from active politics on Sunday. Pandian’s decision comes on the heels of significant electoral setbacks for the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in both the Odisha Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Pandian, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 2000 batch, served as Patnaik’s private secretary for over two decades. In 2023, he took voluntary retirement from the bureaucracy to join the BJD, marking a significant shift in his career. His retirement from politics, announced shortly after the party’s electoral defeat, adds to the turbulent period for the BJD.
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The announcement follows Naveen Patnaik’s statement denying Pandian as his successor, emphasizing that the people of Odisha would decide their leader. This statement, coupled with the recent electoral losses, has cast uncertainty over the party’s future leadership.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended the BJD’s 24-year rule in Odisha, capitalizing on anti-incumbency sentiments against Naveen Patnaik. The BJP’s campaign, focused on themes like Odia’s pride and aspirations under the decisive leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, resonated with the electorate. The BJP secured 78 seats in the 147-seat assembly, while the BJD won 51, Congress 14, and CPM one, with three Independents completing the tally. Patnaik himself lost one of his two contested seats, Kantabanji, but retained Hinjili, marking his sixth consecutive win.
The BJP’s triumph extended to the Lok Sabha elections, where they secured an unprecedented 20 out of 21 seats in Odisha, a dramatic increase from their previous tally of eight seats in 2019. The BJD, which had won 12 seats in the 2019 elections, failed to secure a single seat this time. The Congress managed to retain Koraput, the only seat not won by the BJP.
These results have plunged the BJD, which has dominated Odisha’s political landscape for nearly 25 years under Patnaik, into an existential crisis. Naveen Patnaik, who entered politics following his father Biju Patnaik’s demise in 1997, has been a central figure in Odisha’s politics, serving first as a Union minister from 1998 to 1999 and then as Chief Minister.
Pandian’s retirement marks the end of an era in Odisha politics. His close association with Patnaik and his role in the administration have been instrumental in shaping the state’s political narrative. As the BJD grapples with its electoral losses and searches for new leadership, Pandian’s departure adds another layer of complexity to the party’s future trajectory.
