Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs were marshalled out of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly amid a ruckus over a resolution calling for the restoration of ‘special status.’
Inside the House, a scuffle broke out between BJP MLAs and marshals after the speaker ordered the eviction of opposition members who had stormed the well in protest over the special status resolution.
At least three MLAs including Balwant Mankotia and Vikram Randhawa were marshalled out on the directions of speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, however, the brawl continued as opposition members resisted the eviction.
Amid the chaos, the speaker adjourned the proceedings for the day.
As soon as the assembly met this morning, uproar prevailed as BJP members protested against the resolution that was passed on Wednesday.
As BJP MLA and leader of opposition Sunil Sharma addressed the resolution, Awami Ittehad Party leader and Langate MLA Sheikh Khursheed stormed into the well of the House, holding a banner which read, “We demand restoration of Article 370 and 35A. Release of political prisoners.”
The BJP members were infuriated following which speaker then adjourned the proceedings for 15 minutes, but the BJP members continued their protest even after the break.
Read: Ruckus in J&K assembly as Engineer Rashid's brother displays Article 370 banner
When the House resumed, the protest persisted, despite the speaker’s requests for opposition members to take their seats.
{{/usCountry}}When the House resumed, the protest persisted, despite the speaker’s requests for opposition members to take their seats.
{{/usCountry}}As the protest continued, the speaker warned members not to disregard the rules, saying, "I am very closely watching activities of some members." BJP leader Sunil Sharma called for an end to the National Conference's drama over special status, which further angered the treasury benches, escalating the protests.
Deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary introduced a resolution in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, saying , “This legislative assembly reaffirms the importance of special status and constitutional guarantees, which protected the identity, culture, and rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and expresses concern over their unilateral removal.”
BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta commented on the ruckus , saying that the National Conference and other political parties from Kashmir are attempting to spoil the environment in Jammu and Kashmir.
He added that it is the opposition's role to oppose, but the actions taken were wrong. Gupta mentioned how opposition members were pushed, and that marshals were present.
He alleged the NC leaders could have been involved and it will become clearer once the CCTV footage is checked.