New Delhi: A private sleeper bus en route to Jammu and Kashmir was attacked at a dhaba near Karnal in Haryana late on Saturday (October 17). The bus’s driver has alleged that miscreants started pelting stones and bricks at the vehicle – shattering its windows – and calling him a “terrorist” upon seeing the registration plate of the bus. The attack left two people injured.The driver, Waqar Choudhary, told PTI that the incident took place when the bus stopped for a dinner break, on the way to Srinagar. According to him, one of the men in the parking area demanded him to move the vehicle before allegedly abusing him. “They called me a terrorist,” he said.He added that the man attempted to tamper with the bus’s number plate and struck a window with a key before the confrontation escalated.Stones and bricks pelted on Kashmir bus (JK number), on Delhi to Srinagar route, near Kurukshetra Haryana in an alleged hate crime.One elderly Kashmiri man injured in the attack, families left helpless and terrified.We condemn the murderous attack on innocent people and demand action against the perpetrators.Requesting @police_haryana to take cogzinace of the event, identify the culprits and take action. https://t.co/GwdnDBnqbt— Imran Nabi Dar (@ImranNDar) October 18, 2026Others soon joined the person and vandalised Choudhary’s bus. He alleged that the group even threatened to prevent Jammu and Kashmir-registered vehicles from operating on the highway.“He [the attacker] abused me in front of the passengers and tried to drag me out of the vehicle. The hotel staff intervened and took me inside to protect me. Meanwhile, the man called some other men, who arrived on motorcycles. Three or four of them were involved in the incident, and they vandalised the bus,” Choudhary said.Omar Abdullah, J&K leaders seek justice from Haryana governmentJammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, in a post on X, raised the incident with the Haryana government and sought action over safety of people from J&K in the state.This unfortunate incident should never have taken place. I hope the Haryana government lead by @NayabSainiBJP ji & @police_haryana catch the culprits & take action to ensure these things don’t happen again.— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 18, 2026An official statement quoted by The Tribune read, “The Chief Minister’s Office has conveyed its concern to the Government of Haryana over the incident and the safety and well-being of the passengers. The Haryana administration has assured prompt and stringent action in accordance with the law.”The incident also drew sharp reactions from political representatives in J&K. Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called for swift legal action and measures to protect Kashmiri travellers.“Disturbed to learn about the attack on a Kashmir bound bus in Haryana, leaving an elderly passenger injured and others traumatised. Reports of threats against J&K-registered vehicles are causing concern among people. Those in authority must ensure the safety of Kashmiri travellers and take swift and strict legal action against those responsible,” he wrote on X.Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed Para also demanded accountability, raising concerns over reports of passengers allegedly being targeted by the police rather than attackers.A Delhi–Srinagar sleeper bus was attacked with bricks in Kurukshetra while passengers slept. An elderly Kashmiri was left bleeding. Disturbingly, reports suggest police targeted passengers instead of the attackers.Hate is making ordinary Kashmiris unsafe. We demand arrests and accountability. FYI @DGPHaryana @police_haryana @HMOIndia https://t.co/Bnxt0cdSb0— Waheed Ur Rehman Para (@parawahid) October 18, 2026Nasir Khuehami, national convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, took to social media to condemn the attack. “What is the fault of Kashmiris? Why should someone fear for their life simply because their vehicle bears a Jammu and Kashmir registration number?” he said.Khuehami claimed that a Kashmiri passenger was reportedly detained by the police for over two hours after incident. “The authorities must explain why a victim of the attack was detained without any apparent reason, while those responsible for the assault were seemingly allowed to walk free,” he said.“The hatred directed at Kashmiris cannot be normalised. No citizen of this country including Kashmiri should have to think twice before travelling through another state out of fear of being attacked because of their identity or place of origin. The right to travel safely, freely, and with dignity is fundamental to every Citizen of country,” Khuehami added.Contradicting the claim that the incident occurred due to the inebriated state of a passenger, Khuehami said, “I have personally spoken to Waqar, the bus driver, the elderly Kashmiri passenger from Tangmarg, Baramulla, who sustained injuries, and several other passengers. Their accounts categorically contradict the claim that a passenger had consumed alcohol. They said that it was the attackers who were drunk, and who initiated the abuse, confrontation, hurled anti-Kashmiri abuses and subsequently attacked the bus with stones, bricks and rods.”Police arrest two men in connection with the attackThe police have rounded up two men in connection with the case.Talking about the development on X, Khuehami said, “Haryana DGP Ajay Singhal informed me that the police have registered an FIR and rounded up two accused in connection with the attack on a Kashmir-bound passenger bus in Karnal late Saturday night.”He added that a vehicle involved in the incident has also been taken into custody.Following continued follow-up on the case, Haryana DGP Ajay Singhal informed me that the police have registered an FIR and rounded up two accused in connection with the attack on a Kashmir-bound passenger bus in Karnal late Saturday night. The vehicle allegedly used in the incident has also been taken into police custody.I thank @RajeevJaitly Ji and DGP Haryana Ajay Singhal Ji for their prompt intervention and appreciate the Haryana Police for taking swift action against the accused.@cmohry @police_haryana @KNSKashmir @GreaterKashmir@PTI_News @ANI @anishgawande— Nasir Khuehami (ناصر کہویہامی) (@NasirKhuehami) October 18, 2026Allegations of police assaultDespite the arrest of two accused in the case, some passengers have also alleged assault inside police lockup following the incident. Talking to PTI, Abdullah, a passenger on the bus, said he was assaulted after police arrived at the scene. He lost consciousness shortly after and required medical treatment.He further claimed that the men accused of attacking the bus were released after a person associated with them intervened, allegedly citing their links to a local village head.The passenger also alleged that police accused him of assaulting officers and damaging their uniforms. He told PTI that he intended to submit a written complaint before pursuing a formal first information report (FIR).The attack is not an isolated incident. On Monday (October 19), Khuehami reported another attack on Kashmir-bound passenger bus in Punjab. Attackers allegedly also resorted to pelting stones and attempting to smash the vehicle’s windows.Another Kashmir-bound passenger bus was reportedly attacked by fringe elements in Doraha, Ludhiana, Punjab, today, a day after a similar attack in Haryana’s Karnal district left an elderly Kashmiri passenger injured.Bus driver Ishfaq Ahmad said that several miscreants allegedly resorted to stone-pelting around 11 PM while the bus was heading towards Srinagar. The attackers smashed the bus’s windowpanes, hurling stones at the vehicle while passengers, including women and children, were asleep in their seats.Why this hatred towards Kashmiris? Why should people from Kashmir fear for their safety while travelling through different parts of the country?I urge Punjab Chief Minister @BhagwantMann and @DGPPunjabPolice to take immediate cognisance of the reported incident, ensure a thorough and impartial investigation, identify those responsible, and take strict legal action against the perpetrators.Repeated incidents targeting Kashmir-bound vehicles raise serious concerns about the safety and security of Kashmiri passengers. No one should be targeted, threatened, or intimidated because of their identity or place of origin.Kashmiris are citizens of this country, and their safety, dignity, and freedom of movement must be protected. National unity cannot be built on slogans alone; it must be reflected in the way every citizen is treated.@Ludhiana_Police must ensure that these incidents are not dismissed as isolated occurrences without proper investigation and accountability. Those responsible must face the law, and passengers must be assured that they can travel without fear.We want Kashmir to feel at home in India, but how can that sense of belonging be strengthened when Kashmiris are made to feel unsafe simply for being Kashmiri? Love for a region must also mean respect for its people.@RahulGandhi @priyankagandhi @vidyarthee @Pawankhera @MehboobaMufti @khanumarfa @_sayema @vijaita @svaradarajan @ShujaUH @MuzamilJALEEL @alishan_jafri @zoo_bear @ajitanjum @ravish_journo @betwasharma @samar11 @BDUTT @Nidhi @suhasinih @RanaAyyub @ShashiTharoor @manojkjhadu @MahuaMoitra @asadowaisi @sardesairajdeep @rohini_sgh @peerashiq @islahmufti @PrabhuChawla @Saurabh_Unmute @rtimuzaffar @ShuklaRajiv @GreaterKashmir @MirwaizKashmir@suhasinih @DeependerSHooda@rssurjewala @prakashraaj— Nasir Khuehami (ناصر کہویہامی) (@NasirKhuehami) October 19, 2026