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| Assembly witnesses’ uproar for 2nd day, CM expresses regret over his remarks | | Budget Session 2026 | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 11: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly witnessed high drama and repeated disruptions for the second consecutive day as BJP members pressed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to apologise for his alleged derogatory remarks.
Normalcy was restored in the House only after the Chief Minister expressed regret over his comments. However, protests by BJP legislators continued amid noisy sloganeering.
Addressing the Assembly, Omar Abdullah said he had no intention of hurting anyone. “I regret my remarks if they have caused any hurt. My comments were directed at them and not at their family members. However, their field commander (referring to Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma) went to the extent of dragging my late grandfather into the matter while leaving,” he said.
He maintained that the controversy could have been resolved earlier had he been given an opportunity to clarify his position.
“Had BJP MLAs given me time on Tuesday evening, things would have been clarified. But the Leader of the Opposition did not give me the chance to explain my stand,” he said, adding that while he had refrained from involving their families, his own family members, including his grandfather, had been dragged into the issue.
Criticising the BJP for boycotting Question Hour, the Chief Minister said the opposition had missed an opportunity to raise public concerns. “Discussions on grants of important departments are underway in the House today. I do not want BJP members to miss this opportunity,” he said.
“I am not the Chief Minister of a region or a particular political party. I am the Chief Minister of BJP members as well,” Abdullah asserted. “I am concerned about opposition MLAs too, as I have been elected Chief Minister of the entire Union Territory. Today, their questions were missed.”
Earlier, BJP MLAs described the Chief Minister’s remarks as inappropriate and against the dignity of the House. Raising slogans, they demanded that he withdraw the statement and issue an unconditional apology, staging a brief walkout in protest.
The legislators later returned to the Assembly and reiterated their demand. “Let the Chief Minister admit it was a slip of the tongue, express regret, and apologise,” BJP members said. Despite the uproar, House proceedings continued.
The controversy resurfaced as soon as the Assembly convened in the morning, when former minister and BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma raised the issue. In the Chief Minister’s absence, Sharma urged the Speaker to deliver a ruling on the remarks made on Tuesday evening.
When the Speaker declined to comment on behalf of the Chief Minister, BJP members staged another walkout.
Shortly thereafter, Omar Abdullah entered the House and participated in Question Hour. However, once the BJP legislators returned and resumed sloganeering, the Chief Minister exited the Assembly again.
Amid continued protests, the Speaker proceeded with discussions on grants for various departments, even as tensions persisted inside the House. |
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