Udhampur petrol bomb attack: Farooq Abdullah faces wrath of trucker's family

Former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah today faced the wrath of angry women members of Zahid Bhat's family, who was killed in a petrol bomb attack at Udhampur earlier this month.

Abdullah, along with several other party leaders, visited the family of Bhat at Batengoo in Anantnag district this morning to offer their condolences over the young trucker's death, a police official said.

The National Conference president and party were leaving the residence, when angry women members of the family gave the leader an earful, he said.

"However, the lady police personnel present on duty intervened and took the women away. In the process, a lady constable, Gulshan fainted in the melee," the official said.

He added that Abdullah and other leaders left the venue "safely".

The NC leader demanded that Zahid's family be given compensation at par with the amount paid to the family of the Dadri lynching victim as "both crimes were of the same nature".

"Justice should not only be done but should be seen to be done. Those who are responsible for this gruesome and barbaric crime should be given the most exemplary punishment so that the faith of the people is protected.

"It is the government's responsibility to ensure there is a sense of safety and security among truck-drivers, travelers and commuters on our highways. Mere rhetoric and news statements won't help. The government clearly needs to do much more," Abdullah said while addressing party workers after meeting Zahid's family.