SRINAGAR: A pandemonium broke out in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday following remarks made by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah directed at Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma. During a discussion on the state budget, the Chief Minister told the Assembly, "Aisa lagta hai ki home minister ke aate aate aap logon ko aise joote pade," which translates to, "It seems that you people have been hit by shoes after the Home Minister arrived."
The BJP immediately condemned the comment as "unparliamentary" and demanded an unconditional apology from the CM, warning that they would not allow the Assembly to function until the apology was issued. The controversy arose after Omar Abdullah, also the Finance Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, presented the state budget on February 6 and expressed concerns over the potential impact of the India-US trade deal on the region's horticulture and dry fruit industry.
BJP members took issue with his remarks and began sloganeering in the Assembly. Amidst the disruptions, Omar Abdullah responded to Sunil Sharma by saying, "You have been pinched by our budget that you could not remain silent." He also added, “There is a change in your behaviour.”
In response to the continued disruptions, the CM remarked, "Aisa lagta hai ki home minister ke aate aate aap logon ko aise joote pade." The reference to Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir earlier in February, during which he chaired a high-level security meeting and met with party leaders, further inflamed tensions in the House.
The BJP, in turn, escalated the situation with chants demanding an apology for what they deemed "unparliamentary language," while National Conference (NC) members countered with their own slogans. The resulting chaos led Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to adjourn the proceedings for the day.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Omar Abdullah rejected calls for an apology, stating that he was willing to withdraw his comments, but was not allowed to do so by the BJP members, who had repeatedly disrupted his attempts to speak. He also questioned the validity of the demands for an apology, accusing the LoP of not respecting the Constitution and the sanctity of the Republic Day function in Jammu, where Sharma had reportedly left midway.
LoP Sunil Sharma responded strongly, accusing the Chief Minister of tarnishing the reputation of the Assembly by using "unparliamentary language" and crossing limits. He insisted that the CM must offer an unconditional apology, asserting that BJP members would not allow the House to function until this demand was met.