Shoe Thrown At Omar On I-Day Event

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By Agence India Press

15 August, 2010
Agence India Press

Srinagar: A sub-inspector of the J&K Police threw a shoe at state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during the Independence Day celebrations in Srinagar, but missed him.

The attacker rose from the VVIP stand at the Bakshi Stadium and hurled the shoe just as Omar was about to begin his speech. The VVIP stand was behind the chief minister's podium.

The policeman was immediately arrested. His identity is yet to be revealed.

Omar Abdullah joins Home Minister P Chidambaram, Pakistan President Zardari, former US President George W Bush and Chinese premier Wen Jiabao in facing shoe attack.

The shoe was wrapped in a piece of black cloth. It is not clear why the sub-inspector targeted the chief minister.

Omar has in the recent months drawn flak for the street violence in the Kashmir Valley, which has caused many civilian deaths from firing by securitymen.

Referring to the attack in his speech, Omar said he was lucky that a shoe, and not a stone, had been thrown at him.

Meanwhile, security forces did not allow the hoisting of the Tri-colour at the city's Lal Chowk. BJP and RSS activists had planned to unfurl the national flag at Lal Chowk's clock tower, but were prevented.