In the backdrop of an assassination attempt on former Chief Minister and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, the office of Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary has notified the Security Wing of J&K police about the absence of a bulletproof car during tours to sensitive regions and jammers in his cavalcade that poses a risk to his security.In a letter, a copy of which is with The Tribune, the office of Deputy CM has written to the SSP Security that a bulletproof vehicle was requested for the cavalcade of the Deputy CM during his visit to Rajouri — that is located along the Line of Control (LoC) — but was not provided with one.“It is submitted that a Bullet Resistant Vehicle (Fortuner) has been requested for inclusion in the motorcade of the Deputy Chief Minister, J&K vide tour programme dated 13.03.2026 for scheduled visit of Deputy Chief Minister to Nowshera Constituency, a border region, with effect from 15.03.2026 (Sunday). However, the same has not been provided,” the letter states.The letter further stated that the request was made keeping in view the prevailing security scenario and the recent tragic firing incident on Farooq Abdullah at Royal Park, Greater Kailash, Jammu, wherein the Deputy Chief Minister was also present and was in close proximity to Abdullah.“It is pertinent to mention that the jammer vehicle has remained withdrawn from the motorcade of the Deputy Chief Minister for nearly six months on the pretext of repairs and has not been restored till date. Further, the bulletproof vehicle, pilot and scout vehicles currently deployed are mechanically unreliable and have resulted in serious and near-fatal incidents in the recent past.”“Despite repeated requests from this office to the concerned authorities for reviewing the security arrangements of the Deputy Chief Minister and the replacement of the vehicle presently deployed in the motorcade with a new one, no effective corrective action has been taken,” the letter reads.“Given the prevailing security scenario in Jammu & Kashmir and the nature of responsibilities of the Deputy Chief Minister, which require frequent tours to far-flung and sensitive areas, movement without full and reliable security cover poses a significant risk,” the letter states.


