Srinagar: Several members of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Thursday became embroiled in a brawl in the House as they argued over a resolution passed by an overwhelming vote a day ago and which sought the restoration of the erstwhile state’s constitutional special status revoked by the Centre in August 2019.
After witnessing uproar, scuffle, rainchecks and forcible eviction of three opposition BJP legislators by the marshals, Speaker Abdur Rahim Rather adjourned the House till Friday.
The House had, soon after Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary moved the resolution, witnessed chaos and bedlam on Wednesday also, paralysing the proceedings.
Expressing concern over the “unilateral removal" of special status and constitutional guarantees, the resolution called upon the Government of India to initiate dialogue with elected representatives of the people of J&K for "restoration of special status, constitutional guarantees and to work out constitutional mechanisms for restoring these provisions." It, however, emphasized that any process for restoration "must safeguard both national unity and the legitimate aspirations of the people of J&K".
The BJP, the largest opposition party in the 90-member house, rejected the resolution, calling it “anti-national” and a part of the "agenda of Pakistan and terrorists".
As the House assembled on Thursday morning for a discussion on motion of thanks on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s address, the BJP members were on their feet to protest the passing of the resolution.
The Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma termed the resolution “illegal and unconstitutional” and accused the Speaker of violating the honour of his chair by allowing it to be moved in the house and then putting it to vote hastily. He alleged that the ruling National Conference (NC) was misleading the people of Kashmir on the issue. He said, “I want the NC’s drama of special status to end”.
Soon a war of words broke out between the treasury and o
Amidst slogan chanting, the Speaker asked Mr. Sharma and other BJP members to resume their seats and allow the House to take up the day’s business. “You are the Leader of Opposition, we will hear you,” he told Mr. Sharma. His plea was disregarded by Mr. Sharma and other defiant BJP members, however.
Amidst their chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, ‘Separatist agenda nahi chale ga’ and ‘Gundagardi nahi chale gi’, independent legislator Khursheed Ahmed Sheikh stormed into the well of the house waving a banner that read, ‘We demand restoration of Articles 370 and 35A and release of political prisoners’. This exasperated the BJP members. Some of them rushed towards Mr. Sheikh to snatch the banner from him and a scuffle ensued during which he (Mr. Sheikh) found J&K People’s Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone and some other legislators including of the NC on his side.
The watch and ward staff of the Assembly intervened but to no avail. The BJP members tore the banner off after snatching it from Mr. Sheikh.
Congress legislator Irfan Hafiz Lone also attempted to be a part of the showdown but was asked by JKPCC chief Tariq Hameed Karra and member of the house to retract. Mr. Karra and other Congress members watched the whole fracas in the house silently.
Amid pandemonium, the Speaker adjourned the house for 15 minutes.
When the house reassembled, the BJP members continued their protest. Mr. Sharma accused the NC of being responsible for the spilling of the Kashmiris’ blood. The NC members strongly objected to his remarks and soon it descended into a verbal duel between the two sides.
The Speaker who was on his feet, warned the BJP LP leader of violating rule 384 of the house. “You aren’t above the law’ you can’t break the house rules. No one can speak when the Speaker is on his legs,” he told him. The Speaker said that he was closely watching the actions of some other members of the house as well and warned them, “Don’t force me to take the extreme step. I don’t want to do it but…” He announced, “Nothing (being said and done by the defiant members) will be recorded or reported.” Once again, cautioning the protesting BJP members, he said, “There must be a limit to everything. This is not a fish market. This is Assembly.”
As some BJP legislators stormed into the well of the House, the Speaker ordered the marshals to evict them from the House. “They deserve it, throw them out,” the Speaker said. The BJP legislators resisted, and a brawl broke out between them and the marshals. However, at least three MLAs were marshalled out.
Undeterred by it, other party legislators continued to protest, ignoring repeated appeals of the Speaker to take their seats. The house again witnessed an intense slogan shouting, allegations and counter allegations and a waspish diatribe between the opposition and treasury benches.
As the Speaker’s “last appeal” to the BJP legislators too was paid no heed to, he adjourned the house till Friday.
