Key Takeaways
- The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed uproar over the Article 370 resolution.
- BJP legislators were marshalled out of the House after a heated debate.
- The Article 370 resolution is considered unconstitutional and undemocratic by the BJP.
Srinagar: The J&K Assembly continued to witness uproar on the final working day of the ongoing session over the special status resolution.
As the session commenced on Friday morning, Peoples Democratic Party legislator Fayaz Mir attempted to display a banner in support of Article 370. People’s Conference MLA Sajad Lone and AIP’s Sheikh Khursheed backed the move, sparking protests from BJP lawmakers.
In the ensuing pandemonium, Khursheed was marshaled out of the House. Sajad Lone held up a copy of his resolution for the restoration of Article 370, which he had submitted on Thursday.
When National Conference legislator Javid Baig rose to speak on the Lieutenant Governor’s address, BJP lawmakers continued their protest against the special status resolution.
They demanded that the resolution be withdrawn and chanted slogans “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” “Pakistani agenda nahie chalega,” and “separatist agenda nahi chalega.”
As some BJP members attempted to storm the well, amid protests, they were marshaled out of the House. The remaining BJP legislators staged a walkout.
The House later functioned normally and had several legislators Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, an independent MLA, Nizam Bhat of Congress, Rafiq Naik of PDP and M Y Tarigami of CPI(M) spoke on the LG address.
Meanwhile, BJP MLAs staged a sit-in outside the House in protest against the Speaker.
Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition (LOP) Sunil Sharma said they decided to sit on protest outside the House for not allowing to raise the issues and dragging of members by the marshals on the directions of Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather.
“The day will be remembered as the darkest day in the democracy in J&K,” he told reporters
He said for the past three days the Speaker, who is being considered as the custodian of the House, supported a particular party in the House and with the help of marshals suppressed the voice of the opposition.
Sharma alleged “the resolution on Article 370 which was passed in the House was drafted by the Speaker himself and we protest against it and calling it unconstitutional and undemocratic and unlawful were demanding for its roll back”.
He said Article 370 is a history and there cannot be any debate on it. This assembly is not above the parliament or the Supreme Court of India.
“We believe that debate in this assembly is for the aspirations of the people and more for the development, but these (NC) is advertently and unlawfully running the house”, Sharma alleged.
