NEW DELHI: The Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly was adjourned for three hours on Wednesday after a heated scuffle that broke out between the BJP legislators and the lone AAP MLA Mehraaj Malik over the demand for a discussion on the Waqf Amendment Act. This marked the third consecutive day of uproar in the House on the issue.
‘He has abused Hindus’: BJP
Following the uproar in the House, BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa responded to allegations made by AAP MLA Mehraaj Malik, saying, “He has abused Hindus… We will not tolerate this… He has said ‘Hindu tilak laga ke paap karta hai’… We will give him an answer.”
The ruckus erupted after assembly speaker Abdul Rahim Lather once again disallowed an adjournment motion on the Waqf Act moved by members of the ruling National Conference and its alliance partners.
Meanwhile, the leader of opposition in J&K, Sunil Sharma, accused the Centre of diverting attention from pressing issues. “We moved an adjournment motion to demand discussions on regularising daily wagers and addressing youth unemployment. But the government is avoiding these critical matters,” he said.
“For the third consecutive day, the assembly witnessed chaos. They’ve turned the Waqf Amendment Bill—now enacted—into an issue to shield land jihadis. But the public now sees the true face of the National Conference,” he added.
The House had reconvened this week after a 12-day recess.
As the session opened on Wednesday, NC members stormed the Well of the House, demanding a discussion. They were soon joined by opposition BJP legislators, led by Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma, who also entered the Well amid slogans from both sides. Some lawmakers staged a sit-in protest.
The continuing chaos follows the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, now an Act, in Parliament last week. The Rajya Sabha cleared the bill after a marathon 17-hour debate, with 128 votes in favor and 95 against, following earlier approval in the Lok Sabha after a 13-hour session.
