BJP MLAs hold mock session

Opposition BJP on Friday held a mock session in the lawns of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly after half of its members were marshalled out while the other half staged a walk out of the House to protest against the special status resolution, which was passed by the House this week.

The BJP MLAs assembled in the Assembly lawns and staged a mock assembly in which they described the House resolution on restoration of special status as “illegal” and “unconstitutional”.

As the session began in the morning, Peoples Democratic Party MLA Fayaz Mir tried to display a banner seeking restoration of Article 370. The BJP lawmakers tried to snatch the banner from Mir and later continued their protest and even raised slogans like “Pakistan agenda nahi chalega” in the House.

When some of the BJP members attempted to storm the well, marshals swung into action and forcibly evicted the BJP legislators. The remaining legislators, later staged a walk out and didn’t attend the house proceedings for the day.

The BJP legislators then staged a sit-in outside the House and protested against the Speaker. They even held a mock Assembly session on the campus lawns with BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma acting as the Speaker and the other party MLAs spoke against the resolution.

Later, Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Sunil Sharma told reporters that if the government continues with this behaviour, which he said is challenging the integrity and sovereignty of the country, the BJP would run a parallel government. “This is a warning,” he said.

Sharma said Article 370 is history and there cannot be any debate on it.