Amid noisy scenes over the ‘Pir Panjal’ region, remarks of Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was on Wednesday adjourned for 15 minutes by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather.
The ruckus started shortly after the Question Hour, with Congress MLA Iftikhar Ahmad demanding an apology from BJP leader Sunil Sharma over his remarks in an interview with a news portal that there was no term as ‘Pir Panjal’.
Several legislators, including independents, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, and ministers Satish Sharma and Javed Ahmad, joined the Congress legislator in raising the demand for an apology, which BJP legislators strongly opposed.
While BJP MLAs stood in support of their leader, Sharma remained seated as the deputy CM demanded an unconditional written apology, asserting that the House would not be allowed to function otherwise.
Speaker Rather made futile efforts to pacify the angry legislators, but many of them tried to move towards the Well of the House and came face-to-face. Later, he adjourned the House for 15 minutes.
Talking to reporters outside the Assembly, Congress MLA said that unless the LoP tendered an apology, they would not allow the House to run. “He has disrespected the people of Pir Panjal,” he said, referring to the Poonch and Rajouri districts.
He said the people of Pir Panjal have laid down their lives while defending the borders, and he has “insulted the martyrs” of Pir Panjal.
National Conference MLA Aijaz Jan also demanded an apology from the LoP on the Floor of the House. “He has hurt people. We will be on protests till he apologises. We will not tolerate insults to those people defending the borders of this country,” he said.
Later, the BJP legislators staged a sit-in outside the Assembly, alleging that they were not being allowed to speak in the House.