J&K Assembly adjourned after BJP protests over Omar Abdullah's statehood resolution
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday moved a resolution in the legislative assembly to seek the urgent restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, following which a pandemonium broke out, prompting the speaker to adjourn the house for half an hour.
BJP MLAs protested against the resolution, which has a reference to the autonomy resolution moved by National Conference (NC) government in June 2000 when Jammu and Kashmir was a state.
It read: "In addition to the resolutions passed by this House on 26 June 2000 and 6 November 2024, the House calls upon the Government of India for the immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and resolves that this resolution be forwarded to the Government of India."
The NC-led government headed by Farooq Abdullah had passed a resolution on June 26, 2000 for restoration of greater autonomy as existed before August 9, 1953.
On November 6, 2024, the house passed a resolution seeking the restoration of special status.
As soon as the chief minister tabled the resolution in the house, the treasury benches welcomed it with thumping of desks.
However, the reference to the 2000 resolution triggered protests from BJP members, who stated that they would not allow any discussion on the issue of autonomy in the house.
They alleged that rules were flouted as the chief minister read the resolution even before tabling it in the house.
The BJP members stormed the well of the house and tore the copies of the resolution.
"We will not allow discussion on the issue of autonomy in the house," BJP MLA R S Pathania said.
Several MLAs got into heated arguments with each other as the pandemonium continued in the house.
Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather urged the members to take their seats, but the din persisted.
The members traded barbs with each other, with some of them starting fist fights.
Subsequently, the speaker adjourned the house for half an hour.
