Harassment of Kashmiri Muslims sparks furore in J&K Assembly, BJP pushes separate NLU for Jammu

PDP’s Waheed ur Rehman Parra said he had moved an adjournment motion seeking discussion on “hate crime” against Kashmiris staying elsewhere in the country.

The BJP legislators, meanwhile, demanded a separate National Law University for Jammu. Raising the issue, BJP’s Surjit Singh Slathia stood up as the House assembled in the morning, saying students were on the roads demanding a separate law university for Jammu.

If there could be separate central Universities for the Jammu and Kashmir provinces, he asked, why there should not be a separate NLU for Jammu. He was supported by other BJP legislators, who stood up on their benches holding placards displaying the map of J&K.

As the first 10 minutes of Question Hour were taken up by members from both the treasury and opposition benches raising their respective issues, the Speaker urged legislators to allow the proceedings to continue.

While the Speaker told BJP members they would be allowed to raise the issue at another time, he informed NC legislators that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had himself taken up the issue of harassment of Kashmiris with the respective governments. Action had also been taken after the Chief Minister raised the matter with the concerned governments, he added.

Referring to Parra’s adjournment motion, the Speaker said it had been disallowed as the matter could be raised in the House through other means.

Outside the legislative assembly complex, NC legislators also held a demonstration alleging harassment of Kashmiri Muslims staying elsewhere in the country.