Ruckus in J&K House: Some MLAs bring another ‘tougher’ special status resolution

The five legislators – People’s Conference’s Sajad Lone, Peoples Democratic Party’s Waheed Para and Fayaz Mir, and Independent MLAs Sheikh Khursheed Ahmad and Shabir Ahmad Kullay – said their ‘People’s Resolution’, which mentioned the contentious Articles 370 and 35 A, stemmed from public anger over the one moved by the Omar government.

Thursday also saw a scuffle break out in the Assembly after Independent legislator Sheikh Khursheed Ahmad, the brother of MP Engineer Rashid, brought a banner that read: “We demand restoration of Article 370 and 35A and the release of political prisoners”. BJP legislators jumped into the Well of the House to snatch the banner, after which Sajad Lone, Waheed Para and NC’s Hilal Lone followed them into the Well to support Ahmad. Six BJP leaders were marshalled out of the House on the directions of the Speaker, but as the ruckus continued, the House was adjourned for the day.

It was amid this pandemonium that the five MLAs submitted their resolution to Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather. It said: “This House strongly condemns the unconstitutional and unilateral abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A, along with the enactment of the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, by the Government of India. These actions stripped Jammu & Kashmir of its special status and statehood, undermining the foundational guarantees and protections originally accorded to the region and its people by the Constitution of India.”

It added: “This House unequivocally demands the immediate restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A in their original, unaltered form, and calls for the reversal of all changes introduced by the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. We further urge the Government of India to respect the constitutional and democratic sanctity of Jammu & Kashmir by reinstating all special provisions and guarantees intended to preserve its distinct identity, culture, and political autonomy.”

The MLAs said they would welcome it if the NC brought a resolution like theirs or supported it.

“We don’t want to criticise, we supported them (the NC) when they brought the resolution (on Wednesday), but it is a weak resolution… It is humiliation of the people of J&K, betrayal of them… a medley of words, nothing else,” Lone said, addressing the press after the House adjourned for the day. The adjournment immediately followed the submission of the resolution by the five MLAs, with proceedings interrupted due to slogans and counter-slogans by BJP and NC.

Lone said the adjournment seemed “a fixed match” between the BJP and NC. “First the BJP shouts. When they stop, the NC starts shouting,” he said. “Either they support us or they bring this resolution and we will support it. Or let them tell us what is the difference between their resolution and our resolution. If they support this (new resolution), I will apologise, but if they don’t, I will call it a fixed match.”

PDP’s Para, who had separately moved a resolution Monday seeking special status, also attacked the NC, saying: “From 1947 till now, whenever the Centre has snatched our powers and needed to normalise the situation – whether it was special status, or downgrading the Prime Minister (Wazir-e-Azam) to Chief Minister – the NC has done it for them… They said that the first business (of the House) would be a resolution on 370, but they brought a resolution on statehood. That was not the will of the people… They are now normalising a historical betrayal.” Lone, Para and Ahmad urged the people to “come on social media to endorse” their new resolution.