Proceedings had resumed in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly after five years. As soon as the House began its work on Thursday morning, it had to be adjourned just minutes later. The atmosphere had become very bad due to shock. There was a huge uproar in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on the issue of Article 370. The MLAs scuffled in the House and pelted each other with kicks and punches. The proceedings had to be adjourned after disruption due to fights between BJP MLAs and MLAs from NC, PDP, JKAIP and CPI-ML. The uproar started after Awami Ittehad Party MLA Khurshid Ahmed Sheikh, brother of Engineer Rashid, showed a banner on Article 370. After this, opposition leader Sunil Sharma objected to showing the banner.
Fight started after banners on Article 370 were shown in the House
The fight started when Rashid Engineer’s brother and Langate MLA Sheikh Khurshid Ahmed showed a poster demanding restoration of Article 370. BJP MLAs immediately protested and approached him to snatch the posters. When a scuffle broke out between the MLAs, the marshals deployed to maintain order in the House appeared helpless. After the fight, BJP MLAs were thrown out of the assembly.
The assembly was immediately adjourned for 15 minutes
Earlier on Wednesday, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution asking the Center to prepare a constitutional mechanism to restore the special status of the erstwhile state. Political parties in the Valley welcomed the move, while it was opposed by the main opposition BJP, which was against the decision to abrogate Article 370.
Big leaders also gave statements regarding Article 370
Due to the huge uproar, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather had to adjourn the House proceedings for the day. The resolution also expressed “concern” over the “unilateral removal” of special status, which was passed by the Speaker without any debate amidst uproar. People’s Democratic Party (PDP), People’s Conference, Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) and Communist Party of India (Marxist). [सीपीआई (एम)] The members supported the proposal during the voice vote. With the passing of the resolution, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s Jammu and Kashmir National Conference said it has fulfilled one of its promises made in the manifesto, while Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that “the Assembly has done its job”. However, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said it was a “half-hearted” attempt and the resolution could have been written “in a better way”.
Proposal to restore Article 370
Earlier on Wednesday, a similar situation had come to light in the Assembly regarding the proposal to restore Article 370. Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Chaudhary had presented a proposal to restore the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, which was rejected by the Center on August 5, 2019.
Enraged by this, BJP members tore copies of the resolution and threw the pieces in the well of the House. Amidst the uproar, Sheikh Khurshid tried to enter the well, but was stopped by the assembly marshals. NC members raised slogans demanding that the resolution be passed.
#WATCH Srinagar: Session of J&K Assembly resumes after it was briefly adjourned following a ruckus when Engineer Rashid’s brother & Awami Ittehad Party MLA Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh displayed a banner on the restoration of Article 370.
Marshals took a few Opposition MLAs of the… pic.twitter.com/cIxIPfpjRh
— ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2024
#WATCH Srinagar: Ruckus and heated exchange of words ensued at J&K Assembly after Engineer Rashid’s brother & Awami Ittehad Party MLA Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh displayed a banner on the restoration of Article 370. BJP MLAs objected to the banner display.
(earlier visuals) pic.twitter.com/VQ9nD7pHTy
— ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2024
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