 Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 9: The Legislative Assembly today witnessed unprecedented shocking scenes of disorder not only inside the House but also in the Central Hall where MLAs were seen hurling abuses.
Heated argument between the Aam Aadmi Party’s Mehraj Malik and the BJP legislators took an ugly turn and the situation spiraled out of control, with furniture being smashed, abuses shouted, and allegations flying freely.
While it’s not unusual for MLAs to argue—since they are legally protected for what they say or do inside the Assembly—this time, the chaos went further. Surprisingly, people who weren’t even MLAs joined in, verbally attacking some lawmakers. Such a level of violence has never been seen before in the history of the J&K Legislature, though minor clashes between members have happened in the past.
Assembly descended into chaos on its third day as heated arguments over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, led to physical and verbal clashes among lawmakers. The uproar, primarily sparked by National Conference (NC) MLAs demanding a discussion on the controversial bill, forced the Speaker Abdul Rahmi Rather to adjourn the House until 1 PM.
Tensions flared inside the Assembly when NC members protested, urging an immediate debate on the Waqf Act. The situation quickly escalated, with MLAs from different parties engaging in heated exchanges that spilled outside the Assembly premises. Furniture was reportedly damaged as tempers ran high, marking a rare and chaotic moment in the Assembly’s history.
Adding fuel to the fire, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Mehraj Malik faced backlash from BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa over alleged remarks made in the Assembly.
Randhawa accused Malik of insulting Hindus by claiming that applying a tilak is a sin. “We will not tolerate this,” Randhawa declared, vowing to respond to the alleged remarks.
Outside the Assembly, BJP MLAs staged a separate protest against the state government, demanding discussions on unemployment and the plight of daily wagers.
Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma accused the government of dodging critical issues and deliberately stoking distractions. “The government is running away from debate,” Sharma said, alleging that the clashes were orchestrated to shift focus from pressing concerns.
Sharma criticized the NC, alleging that their protests were performative. “It’s like a fixed match between the treasury benches and the Chair, all for the media gallery,” Sharma said. He accused NC leaders of hypocrisy, pointing out that their MPs were absent during the Waqf bill discussions in Lok Sabha but are now staging protests for publicity in Kashmir.
On the other hand, NC MLA Mubarak Gul defended his party’s stance, emphasizing that Jammu and Kashmir, as a Muslim-majority state, deserves a say on the Waqf Act.
“The people here are against this law. Should we stay silent?” Gul asked. He accused BJP MLAs of disrupting the Assembly by starting scuffles when NC members sought to discuss the bill. “If the BJP thinks this bill is good, they should explain what it offers Muslims,” Gul added, noting that even non-Muslim MPs had opposed the legislation in Parliament.
The repeated adjournments and ongoing protests have raised concerns about the Assembly’s ability to function smoothly. As both sides dig in, the Waqf Act debate continues to expose deep political divides in Jammu and Kashmir, with no immediate resolution in sight. |
