Friday, 22 November 2024
Friday, 22 November 2024
It was a day of fiery exchanges, sharp words, and even physical scuffles in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly as BJP MLAs clashed with Opposition leaders and assembly marshals over a contentious resolution on special status. Tensions had simmered since the previous day (October 6), when the legislative body passed a resolution emphasising the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A—a sensitive issue for the BJP and a rallying cry for the National Conference (NC) and other parties. The day’s chaos started as soon as the assembly met that morning. BJP members immediately voiced their dissent, their uproar filling the chamber. The trigger was the Leader of Opposition, BJP MLA Sunil Sharma, who vocally opposed the resolution, calling for an end to the 'National Conference’s drama of special status.'
Sharma's remarks stoked anger across the aisle, and the situation quickly unravelled. In a dramatic move, Awami Ittehad Party leader and MLA Langate Sheikh Khursheed leaped into the well, a banner in hand that read: "Articles 370 and 35A be restored." His display of defiance incited BJP members, who stormed the well, seized the banner, and tore it to pieces. The Speaker, Abdul Rahim Rather, tried to restore order by adjourning proceedings for 15 minutes, but the disruptions only intensified when the session resumed. As the Speaker attempted to regain control, his words were sharp: “You are LoP, we will hear you,” he assured Sharma, before warning, “You are not above rules… Don’t force me to do what I don’t want to do.”
But Sharma pressed on, calling for an end to the 'drama,' further agitating the opposition. The exchanges grew increasingly pointed. In the chaos, slogans from both sides echoed through the hall. BJP members shouted, 'Balidaan huway jahan Mukherjee woh Kashmir hamara hai,' while NC members countered, 'Jis Kashmir ko khoon say seencha, woh Kashmir hamara hai.' The Speaker issued a direction that no part of the proceedings should be recorded or reported—a sign of the escalating drama.
When BJP MLAs once again stormed the well, the Speaker ordered their eviction, sparking a physical altercation between the BJP members and assembly marshals. “They deserve it, throw them out,” he directed, his authority challenged by the intensity of the confrontation. In a scene straight out of a movie, the lone BJP woman MLA, Shagun Parihar, climbed onto a table, and female marshals were summoned to handle the situation. As BJP MLAs resisted their forced eviction, blows were exchanged, and three members were eventually marshalled out amidst thunderous table-thumping from the treasury benches. The verbal clashes continued even outside the well, with NC members chanting, 'Jammu Kashmir ki awaaz kya, (Article) 370 aur kya,' while BJP MLAs countered with cries of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai.'
The tension escalated when Minister Satish Sharma spoke, criticizing the BJP’s approach. “The table on which they (BJP members) were standing on yesterday had the Constitution of India on it. They stood on it with their shoes on. They should be punished for it,” he declared. The brawl marked a climactic moment in the assembly’s recent history, encapsulating the deep divides over Jammu and Kashmir’s status. The Speaker’s voice cut through the noise one last time as he adjourned proceedings, a fitting conclusion to a day that underscored the unresolved friction over Jammu and Kashmir’s future.
