JAMMU: Pandemonium broke out in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Wednesday after alleged remarks by senior J&K BJP leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma on the Pir Panchal region, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House for 15 minutes.
The disruption erupted after the Question Hour when Congress MLA Iftikhar Ahmad from Rajouri stood up from his seat and demanded that the LoP apologise for his alleged remarks against the Pir Panchal region, which comprises the border districts of Poonch and Rajouri.
National Conference (NC), Congress and Independent members from the Pir Panchal region took exception to the alleged remarks and protested by raising slogans in the House.
Senior NC leader and Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said the people of the Pir Panchal region had made immense sacrifices for the country.
“The LoP’s remarks have hurt the sacrifices of the masses and soldiers at the border in the Pir Panchal region,” he said, demanding an apology from the LoP.
Minister Satish Sharma, who represents the border constituency of Chhamb in the J&K Assembly, also took strong exception to the alleged remarks.
He said the LoP’s remarks were intolerable and demanded that he tender a written apology.
The protests escalated with sloganeering by NC and Congress members, followed by counter sloganeering from BJP members. Amid the chaos, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather adjourned the House for 15 minutes.
Speaking to reporters outside the House, Congress MLA Iftikhar Ahmad alleged that the LoP spoke about two and a half districts of Jammu while ignoring the Pir Panchal region.
“We are demanding that the LoP should tender an apology in the House for hurting the sentiments and disregarding the sacrifices of the people of the region. He has shown disrespect to the Pir Panchal region,” the MLA said, alleging that the BJP only indulges in vote bank politics.
“We will not allow the House to function till the LoP apologises for his remarks,” he said. “When Operation Sindoor took place, people of Rajouri and Poonch gave sacrifices. We safeguard the border and today they ask, which Pir Panchal region.”
“We are patriotic people, but we also have our own identity. Nobody can challenge that identity,” he added.