Cacophony in J-K assembly during MLAs' oath taking ceremony

Noisy scenes were witnessed during oath ceremony of newly elected members to 11th Jammu and Kashmir assembly in Jammu over the languages and terms used during the event.

Noisy scenes were witnessed during oath ceremony of newly elected members to 11th Jammu and Kashmir assembly in Jammu on Tuesday over the languages and terms used during the event.

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PDP members objected when BJP pradesh president Ashok Khajuria took oath in Dogri referring to Vaishnodevi as "mata". PDP said the reference should have been "parmatma".

When they continue to raise their voice, Khajuria used the word "parmatma" while concluding his oath. Most of the BJP MLAs took oath in Dogri.

Objections were also raised by members of the House when Nazir Ahmed Gurezi of National Conference (NC) started taking oath in Shina language.

However, he defended taking the oath in the language saying that it was a recognised language of 6th Schedule of the J&K Constitution. Later, Protem speaker Choudhary Mohammad Aslam allowed him to take the oath in that language.

Amid the cacophony, leader of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) Harshdev Singh suggested to the Chair that there was a need to issue proper format of oath taking ceremony in different languages recognised in the 6th Schedule of J&K Constitution so that appropriate words are used by the members.

Another independent member from Langate, Abdul Rasheed Shah, took oath in Kashmiri language but there was no objection from treasury and opposition benches.