Brawl In J&K Assembly As Special Status Resolution Sparks Violent Protest

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The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly that started its sessions on Monday this week is seeing back-to-back ruckus among various political parties. A violent altercation erupted on Thursday morning between BJP MLAs and state assembly marshals following a directive from the speaker to evict opposition members. The opposition had stormed the well of the assembly in protest over the special status resolution, prompting Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to adjourn the proceedings for the day. 

The ruckus erupted after BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma began speaking against a resolution passed in yesterday’s session. Awami Ittehad Party leader Sheikh Khursheed jumped into the well of the assembly, holding a banner that called for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A. This angered the BJP members, who rushed to the well, grabbed the banner, and tore it apart. 

#WATCH | A ruckus breaks out at J&K Assembly in Srinagar after Engineer Rashid's brother & MLA Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh displayed a banner on Article 370. LoP Sunil Sharma objected to this. House adjourned briefly. pic.twitter.com/iKw8dQnRX1

— ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2024

The speaker began to calm down the situation by assuring the LoP that his opinions would be heard. However, the protest continued following which Rahim Rather furiously said, "You (LoP) are not above rules. See the rules...Don't force me to do what I don't want to do". 

BJP and Jammu and Kashmir National Conference party members raised various slogans, further escalating the matter.  

JK Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary had moved the resolution which said, "That this legislative assembly reaffirms the importance of the special status and constitutional guarantees, which safeguarded the identity, culture and rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and expresses concern over their unilateral removal."