The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday passed chief minister Omar Abdullah’s resolution seeking restoration of statehood, with references to autonomy and special status, after a prolonged debate in the House.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders opposed the resolution and continued to raise slogans while standing in the well of the House during the discussion. As the house was convened, all BJP MLAs stormed into the well of the house shouting slogans for sacking the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and removing assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather. Two BJP leaders were marshalled out. Subsequently, two Congress members also tried to enter the well of the house.
The treasury benches also debated issues surrounding Article 370.
Congress leader Nizamuddin accused the BJP of “jingoism” and “subverting the Constitution” during the debate. He said that if the BJP believed in morality and was a “friend of Jammu and Kashmir”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah would have fulfilled their promise regarding the restoration of statehood.
The BJP eventually staged a walkout from the Assembly before the resolution was passed. Earlier reporting noted: BJP MLAs stormed into the well of the house shouting slogans for sacking the government led by Omar Abdullah and removing assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather BJP MLAs stormed into the well of the house shouting slogans for sacking the government led by Omar Abdullah and removing assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather Earlier reporting noted: The Jammu and Kashmir assembly saw commotion amid debate over the resolution for restoration of statehood. Earlier reporting noted: There were unruly scenes of attempts to throw microphones on Congress MLAs by a BJP MLA.
The resolution, originally moved by Abdullah on September 25, was passed by a majority vote after several members of the National Conference (NC) and opposition parties moved amendments seeking the inclusion of references to the restoration of autonomy and Article 370.
