Stone pelting on bus: Cong demands home minister make statement on JK situation

The Congress today termed as "very serious" the situation in Jammu and Kashmir where stones were pelted at a school bus and demanded Home Minister Rajnath Singh make a statement on the overall scenario in the state.

Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said the "experiment" of the BJP tying up with the PDP to form a government in the politically-sensitive state had "completely failed" and the situation there had "deteriorated".

"I think the situation in Kashmir is very-very serious...Now there is a massive law and order problem there and the school buses are being targeted. So this is a very serious situation.

"I think the government should immediately come out with a statement. The Home Minister should come out with a statement. They should explain to the nation as to why this is the situation in J&K," he told reporters.

Shukla claimed when the Congress was ruling the state with the National Conference there was a big tourist inflow and business volume had gone up.

There was resurgence of the economy at that point of time and voter turnouts in elections used to be around 85 per cent, he said.

"Now look at where the situation has gone at this time. That experiment has completely failed what the BJP had done with the PDP. Now massive law and order problem is there and the school buses are targeted. So this is a very serious situation," he said.

A Class 2 student suffered a head injury when the school bus carrying him was attacked by stone-pelters in militant-infested Shopian district of South Kashmir this morning, triggering angry reactions from Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and political leaders.

The police said the bus of a private school was attacked by stone pelters in Zavooora area, injuring the student identified as Rehan Gorsai. The injured child was referred to SMHS Hospital where doctors attending on him stated his condition to be stable. The bus was carrying close to 35 students.

The Chief Minister said perpetrators of the act will be brought to justice soon.

"Shocked and angered to hear of the attack on a school bus in Shopian. The perpetrators of this senseless and cowardly act will be brought to justice," she tweeted.