At least 12 BJP MLAs were on Friday marshaled out of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly as they created unruly scenes and tried to block proceedings of the House for the third day in a row by raising slogans and storming into the well of the Assembly.
The Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather ordered the marshals to evict them from the Assembly after they also clashed with PDP members who were displaying copies of their resolution seeking restoration of Articles 370 and 35A.
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The BJP members raised slogans against Article 370 and the resolution for restoration of the special status of J&K that was passed by a voice vote on Wednesday after the deputy CM Surinder Choudhary moved it.
Eleven other BJP members walked out of the house in protest against eviction of their colleagues. They held a “parallel” Assembly outside on the lawns of the complex with a senior BJP member Sham Lal Sharma playing the role of Speaker.
Protesting BJP MLAs were also marshalled out of the house on Thursday.
Earlier, the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) MLA Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh, was also marshalled out of the house.
In the past two days, the house was unable to discuss the motion of thanks on the Lt. Governor’s address that he delivered in the Assembly on Monday. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were listed for this purpose but the house was adjourned on the past two days due to disruptions by BJP members.
The discussion progressed today on the last day of the session in the absence of BJP members. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will later reply to the discussion.
As the house assembled this morning, Peoples Conference MLA Sajad Lone and PDP member Waheed Parra displayed a poster demanding restoration of Article 370.
This led to protests by BJP MLAs who started raising slogans.
In the meantime, AIP MLA Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh rushed into the well of the house and was evicted by the marshals.
He said that the resolution of the National Conference was an ‘eyewash’.
Deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary on Wednesday introduced a resolution in the Assembly reaffirming the importance of the region’s special status, which ‘safeguards its identity, culture, and rights.’
