Disgruntled BJP legislators ran a “parallel Assembly” on the lawns of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and threatened to run a “parallel government” after several of them were evicted from the House on the second consecutive day for creating a ruckus over a resolution demanding restoration of special status.
The “parallel Assembly” observed two minutes' silence for the two village defence guards who were killed by militants in Jammu's Kishtwar on Thursday. Their bodies were recovered on Friday, triggering protests in the area.
The Valley was rocked by another gunfight on Friday in which the security forces killed two militants in Sopore, north Kashmir.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, which is holding its maiden session after the Omar Abdullah government took office last month, witnessed chaos for the third consecutive day over the contentious resolution seeking to restore the special status. Friday was the last day of the five-day Assembly session.
As the House met for the day, BJP MLAs started protesting the special status resolution and later stormed the Well while raising slogans such as “Bharat Mata ki jai” and “Pakistan ka agenda nahin chalega”.
As the situation turned ugly with both government and Opposition members raising slogans against each other, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather asked marshals to evict the agitating MLAs.
A dozen BJP legislators and Langate legislator Sheikh Khurshid, who is the brother of Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul 'Engineer' Rashid, were marshalled out. Some MLAs were lifted by the marshals and dragged out as they tried to resist the eviction.
Later, around a dozen more BJP legislators staged a walkout. They assembled on the lawns to conduct separate proceedings, which was called a “parallel Assembly” by the BJP’s leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma.
The BJP has 29 MLAs in the 90-member Assembly. They are opposed to the restoration of the special status.
While speakers inside the House defended the restoration of the special status, the “parallel Assembly” questioned the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly's right to challenge a decision (abrogation of Article 370) taken by Parliament and approved by the Supreme Court.
The National Conference legislators said they were elected by the people and were within their rights to seek its restoration.
Sharma said: “We ran a parallel Assembly where issues of people were raised. Don’t take it lightly. If you continue... to challenge India’s sovereignty and integrity, we will run a parallel government. This is a warning.”