The Jammu and Kashmir assembly witnessed stormy scenes on Wednesday as the House was briefly adjourned following an uproar over alleged unwarranted remarks made by the leader of opposition (LoP), Sunil Sharma, regarding the Pir Panjal region.
The commotion erupted soon after Question Hour when Congress MLA Iftikhar Ahmed took exception to Sharma’s recent comments.
The controversy stems from an interview given by the LoP to a news portal on Tuesday. When questioned about the demand for a National Law University (NLU) in the Pir Panjal region, Sharma reportedly said he did not know much about the area. This triggered a sharp reaction from the treasury benches and Independent legislators representing the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, which together constitute the Pir Panjal belt.
The protest was led by deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary and included all seven MLAs from the region, including cabinet minister Javed Ahmed and legislators Javid Choudhary, Aijaz Jan, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Independents Choudhary Akram and Muzaffar Khan. While BJP MLAs stood in support of their leader, Sharma remained seated as the deputy CM demanded an unconditional written apology, asserting that the House would not be allowed to function otherwise.
The House turned into a battlefield of slogans, with cries of Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata Ki Jai clashing with Jive Jive Pir Panjal.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti had recently pushed for a separate divisional commissioner for Rajouri and Poonch, citing the challenges of its vast, hilly terrain.
Faced with relentless sloganeering in the well, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather adjourned the proceedings for 15 minutes.
The House eventually reassembled at 11.50am, after which chief minister Omar Abdullah moved two legislative Bills to resume formal business.
www.hindustantimes.com
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