Srinagar, Nov 07: A day after the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly passed a resolution calling for the restoration of the erstwhile state’s special status, the House descended into chaos. Noisy scenes, scuffles, and a subsequent adjournment marked Thursday’s proceedings, with BJP MLAs vehemently opposing the resolution moved by the ruling coalition.
The Assembly session, which had started with tension, was adjourned until Friday after BJP legislators stormed the Well of the House, protesting over the resolution passed by ruling coalition on November 6, urging the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A and the reversal of the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
The uproar began when Sheikh Khursheed, an AIP legislator, entered the Well holding a banner demanding the release of political prisoners and the restoration of Article 370. BJP members rushed forward, trying to seize the banner, sparking a scuffle that saw the involvement of PDP’s Waheed Para, Fayaz Mir, and Peoples Conference’s Sajad Lone. These members had introduced another resolution seeking full restoration of the special status.
“This House unequivocally demands the immediate restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A in their original, unaltered form and calls for the reversal of all changes introduced by the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019,” read the resolution.
Amidst the clashes, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather ordered the marshalling out of BJP MLAs Balwant Mankotia, Vikram Randhawa, and another member. However, opposition members resisted, and disorder continued, leading to an adjournment.
When the House resumed, BJP’s Sunil Sharma attempted to speak but was cut off by the Speaker, who instructed him to wait. “Isko samjaye… he has not read the basic rules of the Assembly. You are not above the law and rules. Take your seat,” said Rather.
Despite efforts to restore order, opposition protests persisted, prompting another adjournment. The BJP demanded a repeal of the resolution, which had also called for dialogue with the Union Territory’s elected representatives to regain J&K’s special status.
Led by Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma, BJP members chanted slogans and demanded the resolution’s withdrawal. The Speaker warned members about their conduct, emphasizing he would not hesitate to act if necessary. Sharma accused the ruling party of inciting violence, further escalating tensions.
The Speaker also warned certain members that he was closely monitoring their behaviour, cautioning them not to push him to act.
The ruling party responded with slogans, shouting, “Jis Kashmir ko khoon se seencha, woh Kashmir humara hai” (The Kashmir that has been watered with blood is ours).
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather rejected the BJP’s demand to either roll back the special status resolution passed by the House or step down.
In a conversation with Rising Kashmir, Speaker Rather dismissed the BJP’s demand to roll back the resolution. He advised BJP members to follow procedure and file a no-confidence motion if they had issues with his impartiality. “The Speaker does not have the power to reverse resolutions passed by the House. Such matters are decided by the House itself,” Rather clarified.
Responding to the BJP’s protests, Rather criticised the party’s “cheap sloganeering” and expressed dismay over their unruly behaviour, which included entering the Well of the House and disrespecting the national emblem placed on the Assembly Secretary’s chair.
For two days, the BJP disrupted proceedings, demanding Rather either retract the resolution or resign.
“How can a Speaker undo a decision made by the House? My advice to them is to review the Assembly rules before making demands,” Rather said adding that if BJP members doubted his impartiality, they should bring a no-confidence motion instead of resorting to slogans.
“Their behavior is unbecoming of members from the ruling party at the Centre. They should set a better example,” he said.
Regarding the marshalling out of several BJP MLAs on Thursday, he said he had instructed marshals to prevent members from entering the Well of the House after some BJP legislators had disrespected the national emblem during protests.
He criticized the BJP’s “cheap sloganeering” and noted their disrespectful behavior, including stepping on the national emblem placed on the Assembly Secretary’s chair. “They stepped on the emblem with their shoes. As Speaker, I cannot tolerate such disrespect. We must remember we are Indians first, and we should honor our national symbols,” he said.
Rather expressed disappointment over the conduct of BJP MLA Shagun Parihar, who stood on chairs during protests. “Legislators should set a better example. This behavior sets a bad precedent,” he said.
The Speaker also clarified that he had yet to receive a formal submission for the new resolution by PDP and Peoples Conference members, stressing that all resolutions must be properly forwarded to the Assembly Secretariat for review.
On Wednesday, the Assembly had passed the resolution asking the Centre to establish a constitutional mechanism for restoring J&K’s special status, revoked on August 5, 2019. The resolution was praised by several political parties but drew protests from the BJP, which demanded its repeal.
