Awami Ittehad Party MLA Sheikh Khurshid being marshalled out during a ruckus after BJP members protested over the special status resolution in J-K Assembly, in Srinagar on Friday.
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was thrown into chaos for the third consecutive day on Friday over a controversial resolution calling for the restoration of special status to the former state under Article 370.
The session was marked by heated arguments, physical altercations, and disruptions, as members were ejected by marshals at the Speaker’s orders, and the BJP staged a walkout after several of its members jumped into the well of the house.
The uproar began as Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather directed National Conference (NC) legislator Javaid Baig to address the Motion of Thanks. However, opposition members from the BJP, People’s Conference (PC), Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and AIP quickly escalated tensions, shouting over the contentious resolution concerning the abrogation of Article 370 and the possible restoration of special status.
The situation mirrored Thursday’s uproar, as Khursheed, the brother of jailed MP Engineer Rashid, once again raised a banner calling for the restoration of Article 370 and 35A and the release of political prisoners. His actions triggered a physical altercation, with BJP members allegedly manhandling him before he was forcibly removed by marshals.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma condemned the Speaker’s handling of the situation, calling it “the darkest day in democracy” and accusing Rather of acting as a “Speaker of the National Conference” rather than as an impartial chair.
“For the last three days, the Speaker has been imposing martial law and suppressing the voice of the opposition,” Sharma alleged.
On Thursday, a scuffle had broken out in the Assembly after Khurshid brought a banner saying, “we demand restoration of Article 370 and 35A and the release of political prisoners.”
Amid the ruckus, a resolution seeking a dialogue for “restoration of special status and constitutional guarantees” to the Union Territory was passed on Wednesday. The resolution was moved by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary and was passed by voice vote.
In a further escalation, PDP, People’s Conference, and AIP MLAs submitted a new resolution on Thursday, condemning the 2019 abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A. Led by PDP MLAs Waheed Para and Fayaz Mir, along with People’s Conference MLA Sajad Lone, the resolution described the abrogation as “unconstitutional” and a "breach of foundational guarantees” originally extended to Jammu and Kashmir.
Lone in a separate statement accused the NC of playing a "fixed match" with the BJP, stating that the NC's initial resolution was inadequate in condemning the abrogation.