‘Worse Than a Wrestling Match’: Last day of Budget session turns out to be a nightmare for ‘Assembly Marshalls’

Srinagar, Apr 09: The final day of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature’s Budget session on Wednesday turned into a “security nightmare” for Assembly marshals, who were forced into frantic action as the House erupted in chaos during a heated confrontation over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
What began as a heated exchange soon escalated into full-blown disorder, with MLAs shouting, pushing, and lunging at each other across the floor. The situation reached boiling point when an Aam Aadmi Party’s lone legislator Mehraj Malik alleged he was physically assaulted by BJP members—prompting marshals to intervene immediately.
“For a moment, it looked more like a wrestling ring than a legislative chamber,” said one exhausted Marshall’. “We are trained for preventing disruptions—not the wrestling matches.”
Situation aggravated when, AAP MLA was tossed on to a glass-fitted table. The glass broke into pieces in the central hall of the Assembly, a place used by MLAs to relax and calm down.
Another Marshall, while recounting the tense scene, said: “We had to physically separate several MLAs. One nearly slipped while rushing across the aisle. It was one of the most difficult days we have faced.”
The shirt and a coat of a Marshall tore apart when he tried to push an irate legislator out of the House during the shuffle. “I had never expected this on the last day of the Budget session,” he told Rising Kashmir, later.
With order collapsing rapidly, Marshalls, formed a human barrier between clashing law makers to prevent further escalation. The Speaker was left with no choice but to adjourn the proceedings—marking the third consecutive day disrupted by uproar over the Waqf Bill.
The controversy stems from the opposition’s demand to debate the Bill, which they argue undermines religious autonomy. The Speaker rejected the motion, stating that since the legislation had already been passed by Parliament, the Assembly had no jurisdiction to revisit it.
Despite repeated attempts to maintain decorum, marshals found themselves at the centre of a storm few could have predicted. “It’s not just undignified—it’s dangerous,” said an official of the Assembly Secretariat. “This isn’t what democracy should look like.”
With the Budget session now concluded after 21 days of intense debates and dramatic scenes, today’s incident has cast a shadow over the legislature’s conduct—and raised serious questions about safety, order and the role of security personnel inside the House.