Anger Against BJP’s Article 370 Move in 2018 Rocks J&K Assembly

1 month ago 24

The events of 2019 have returned to haunt Jammu and Kashmir. In its first convention in six years, J&K’s assembly is witnessing a lot of fireworks against the reading down of Article 370. The uproar started on the first day itself after the election of the Speaker when the PDP leader Waheed Parra brought a resolution to the House to oppose the reading down of J&K’s special status and its “constitutional disempowerment”. The PDP leader admitted that he was not following the rules of the House, yet he wanted a debate on the resolution. Some, including the chief minister Omar Abdullah, accused Waheed of attempting to hog the limelight. A “first day, first show” stint, Omar said, reminding the House that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had not given their approval to the 2019 decision. Soon enough, the opposition benches erupted in protest. Shouting slogans, the BJP legislators demanded that Parra’s remarks should be expunged from the assembly records. Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather obliged. Rather didn’t allow the resolution and also got Waheed’s remarks expunged from the records, saying, strangely, that he couldn’t hear them. On the second day, the house convened for the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s speech and for obituary references to the sitting and former members who passed away since 2018 when the assembly had last convened. But the real fireworks started on Wednesday when Omar Abdullah’s party, the National Conference, introduced a second resolution on J&K’s special status in the house. The resolution again condemned the Centre’s “unilateral” move in 2019. It also demanded the restoration of J&K’s “special status and constitutional guarantees”. Soon enough, the BJP legislators were up in arms once again. The assembly was rocked by slogans such Jahan dain balidan Mukherjee, woh Kashmir hamara hai and Jai Shree Ram. Despite protests which repeatedly disrupted the proceedings in the house, the Omar Abdullah government succeeded in getting the resolution approved by a majority vote. However, it didn’t silence the opposition who continue to target his government. While the BJP has demanded withdrawal of the resolution, Kashmir based parties want Omar’s government to change its wording, calling the resolution passed by the assembly as “meaningless”. PDP’s Waheed who, interestingly, supported the resolution, later called it a “grave betrayal”. Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone also asked Omar’s party to set the facts of history right. The fireworks intensified when the house resumed on Thursday and the Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma stood to speak on the resolution. Sharma was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Sheikh Khursheed in the well of the house who held up a banner towards him, demanding the restoration of Articles 370 and 35-A as well as the release of J&K’s political prisoners. Chaos continues to rule the first proceedings of the assembly after Jammu and Kashmir was downgraded into a union territory. It is a reflection of the widespread public anger against the Modi government and the fireworks are expected to continue, both inside and outside the house. Join The Wire's Youtube Membership and get exclusive content, member-only emojis, live interaction with The Wire's founders, editors and reporters and much more. Memberships to The Wire Crew start at Rs 89/month. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWtJey46brNr7qHQpN6KLQ/join

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