Tensions escalated in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly today as BJP MLAs clashed with marshals over a resolution calling for the restoration of Article 370, which had previously granted special status to the region. The session was marked by chaotic scenes when Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather ordered the removal of protesting opposition MLAs. The move prompted a scuffle involving various legislators, including J&K People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone.
Sajad Lone, defending Langate MLA Sheikh Khurshid during the altercation, emphasized solidarity as a fellow Kashmiri. Lone criticized the National Conference (NC) for failing to assist Khurshid, stating, “We have fought against Khurshid saab, but as a Kashmiri, when I saw that he was attacked alone, I couldn’t stop myself. Did anyone from the National Conference come?”
Yesterday’s resolution, passed without debate amid BJP protests, expressed concern over the “unilateral removal” of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. It urged the Centre to initiate dialogue with elected representatives for its restoration. Supported by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Sajad Lone’s People’s Conference, and other parties, the resolution was passed by a voice vote while BJP members continued to object.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah affirmed the Assembly’s duty to represent public sentiment on the issue, stating, “The Assembly has done its job by passing the resolution.” However, BJP Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma rejected the resolution, warning that his party would block House proceedings until it was revoked.
Outside the Assembly, Sharma and BJP MLAs accused Speaker Rather of bias towards the National Conference, while BJP supporters held protests against the resolution. BJP leaders also protested in Delhi, where Union Minister Smriti Irani criticized the National Conference and its ally Congress, accusing them of waging “a new war against the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir” through the INDIA alliance.
The controversial resolution follows the recent Assembly election victory of the National Conference-Congress alliance, marking the first election since Jammu and Kashmir was stripped of its special status in 2019. The restoration of Article 370 has been a central issue in the National Conference’s manifesto, reflecting ongoing debates over Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy and the future of its governance.
