Pandemonium over resolution on special status, Assembly adjourned

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was adjourned for the day on Thursday after massive ruckus erupted in the House over Langate MLA Sheikh Khursheed displaying a banner in the Assembly seeking restoration of Article 370 and 35 A.

As soon as the Assembly met this morning, uproar prevailed as BJP members protested against the resolution that was passed on Wednesday. While BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma was speaking over the resolution, Awami Ittehad Party leader Sheikh Khursheed jumped into the well displaying a banner that read Articles 370 and 35A be restored.

This infuriated the BJP members, who also jumped into the well and snatched the banner, which they tore into pieces.

At that point it was Awami Ittehad Party's key opponent during the elections, Sajad Lone, who tried to stop the BJP members, which triggered a scuffle. As the house marshals intervened, Lone was joined by PDP MLA Waheed Para.

Even though the situation was brought under control, the commotion continued, which prompted Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to adjourn the house for 15 minutes. As the house assembled again, the BJP legislators continued their protest and even questioned the conduct of the Speaker.

The situation escalated as several BJP MLAs were marshalled out on the directions of the Speaker. After the remaining BJP legislators continued the ruckus, the Speaker eventually adjourned the house for the day.

NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq told reporters that after the Assembly passed the resolution on Wednesday with a majority. “The BJP doesn’t have any agenda and is disrupting the house,” he said.

Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma said that BJP will oppose every action by the NC government that undermines the Constitution of India. “The Speaker acted in an illegal and biased manner towards the BJP MLAs and ordered their eviction from the Assembly, resulting in injury to five legislators,” he said.

Amid strong opposition by the BJP legislators, the Assembly had on Wednesday passed a resolution seeking a dialogue for “restoration of special status and constitutional guarantees”, also calling upon the Government of India to initiate dialogue with elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir.

PDP legislator Waheed Para had on the first day of the Assembly session also proposed to the Speaker that a resolution “opposing the revocation of the special status of J&K” be included in the business list. That day too, it had triggered a ruckus in the House.

Resolution told world what J&K people want: Omar

Srinagar: J&K CM Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the resolution passed by the legislative Assembly on the restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state has told the world what the people here want. Addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of a bridge in the Ganderbal area, Abdullah said: “Your voice (about special status) was raised loud and clear through the resolution passed in the assembly yesterday. It has told the world what we want and what we have set out to achieve.” — PTI