Srinagar:

Chaotic scenes played out in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly this morning over the resolution seeking restoration of its special status under Article 370 of the Constitution. BJP MLAs clashed with the marshals after Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather ordered that some of the protesting Opposition MLAs be removed from the House. A poster seeking restoration of Article 370 sparked another melee involving several MLAs, including J&K People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone.

The day also saw some members of the PDP and People’s Conference submit a fresh resolution seeking the restoration of the special status. Mr Lone slammed the National Conference and said its resolution, which they backed yesterday, is “drama”. “We supported the (resolution) yesterday and their spokesperson tweets that we are allies of BJP. Enough of this nonsense.”  

When the House met today, members of the Opposition BJP started protesting against the resolution passed yesterday. As Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma was speaking, Sheikh Khurshid, Langate MLA and brother of Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid, jumped into the Well with a banner that demanded the restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A and the release of political prisoners.

The BJP members entered the Well and lunged towards the banner. One of them snatched it from Mr Khursheed’s hand and ran back to the Opposition benches as other BJP members joined him in trying to tear it apart. At this point, Mr Lone intervened and tried to stop them, and a huge scuffle broke out. The marshals brought the situation under control, but more flashpoints followed as both sides voiced their views for and against the resolution.

Speaking to the media outside the House, Mr Lone slammed the National Conference for not coming to Mr Khursheed’s aid when he was attacked. “We have fought against Khursheed saab, but as a Kashmiri, when I saw that he was attacked alone, I couldn’t stop myself. Did anyone from National Conference come?”

The Resolution

The resolution passed yesterday expressed “concern” over the “unilateral removal” of the special status and said the Assembly calls upon the Centre to start a dialogue with elected representatives for its restoration. It was passed without any debate as the BJP members protested and the Speaker opted for a voice vote. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Assembly had done its job by passing the resolution, which was backed by Mehbooba Mufit’s PDP and Sajad Lone’s People’s Conference, among other parties.

The BJP’s Protest

Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma said the BJP rejects the resolution. He later told the media that the Opposition would not let the House function till the resolution was withdrawn. BJP MLAs have also targeted the Speaker, accusing him of acting like a National Conference leader. BJP is also holding street protests against the resolution. In Delhi, senior BJP leader Smriti Irani slammed the National Conference and its ally Congress, alleging the INDIA alliance of starting a new war against the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Backdrop

The resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly yesterday was introduced weeks after the National Conference-Congress alliance won the Assembly polls in the Union Territory. This was the first Assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir since it was stripped of its special status and statehood, and bifurcated into two Union Territories in 2019. Restoration of special status was a key promise in the National Conference election manifesto.