Dangal in J&K Assembly: Lawmakers scuffle over Article 370 resolution

BJP MLAs confront Engineer Rashid's brother after he waves Article 370 banner.

Srinagar:  A violent scuffle broke out in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Thursday as lawmakers clashed over a resolution demanding the restoration of the special status of the Union Territory (UT), which was revoked by the Centre in August 2019.

The chaos began when the session resumed in the morning, with opposition BJP members sharply protesting a resolution passed the previous day by the National Conference (NC)-led government, which urged the central government to develop a constitutional approach for reinstatement of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

“The resolution was unconstitutional. You broke the rules of the House,” Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma declared, accusing the ruling NC of overstepping legislative procedures.

As protests from BJP MLAs escalated, they were forcibly removed from the House by marshals on the orders of Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather. The BJP lawmakers, refusing to leave peacefully, scuffled with the marshals, resulting in the removal of three BJP members amidst loud thumping from the treasury benches.

While the ruling National Conference members raised the slogans of “Jammu Kashmir ki awaaz kya, (Article) 370 aur kya”, BJP MLAs raised “Bharat Mata ki Jai”.

Tensions surged further when a poster seeking restoration of Article 370 sparked another melee involving several MLAs, including Sheikh Khurshid, Langate MLA and brother of Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid and J&K People's Conference leader and MLA Sajad Lone.

Khurshid, caught in a heated exchange with BJP MLAs, was confronted physically, leading to a full-blown clash. Lone intervened in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, but his efforts only fueled further scuffle. Marshals quickly intervened, bringing the situation under control. Despite this, flashpoints continued to erupt as both sides exchanged heated verbal barbs.

Amid the chaos, the speaker adjourned proceedings for 15 minutes but BJP members continued their protests even after the adjournment. The tension had been building since Wednesday, when the resolution’s passage led to repeated disruptions in the House, ultimately causing an adjournment for the day.

Earlier, Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party moved a fresh resolution in the Assembly seeking restoration of Articles 370 and 35A after the House reassembled.

On Wednesday, the J&K Assembly passed a resolution, brought by the ruling National Conference (NC), asking the Centre to work out a constitutional mechanism for restoring Article 370 and hold dialogue with the elected representatives of the UT over the issue.

The scuffle inside the Assembly underscores the deepening polarization between Kashmir and Jammu, with no clear resolution in sight as tensions continue to escalate both inside and outside the House.