Jammu: Proceedings of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly were disrupted on Wednesday after National Conference and Congress legislators protested against Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma over his remarks related to the Pir Panjal region, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for 15 minutes.
The protest erupted soon after the House assembled, with members from the NC and Congress raising slogans and demanding an apology from Sharma for what they termed as objectionable comments.
According to members, the controversy arose from remarks made by the BJP leader on Tuesday while responding to questions regarding the demand for divisional status for the Pir Panjal region.
During the discussion, Sharma reportedly said he was unaware of what Pir Panjal was or where it existed.
NC legislators said the remarks hurt the sentiments of people from the region and were unacceptable.
Rajouri MLA Iftikhar Ahmad said the House would not be allowed to function unless Sharma tendered an apology.
Amid the continued sloganeering and disruption, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings for 15 minutes.
Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Sunil Sharma on Tuesday objected to referring Rajouri and Poonch districts as part of the Pir Panjal region, asserting that no such region exists in Jammu and Kashmir, which he described as a single, undivided unit.
“There is no such region in Jammu and Kashmir. Attempts are being made to create separate regional identities, which challenge the historical and cultural unity of Jammu and Kashmir,” Sharma had told reporters.
Replying to a question on whether he would apologise, as demanded by the ruling party, Sharma parried a direct reply, asking where such a region existed.
He said historical and Puranic references should be consulted, as the area was earlier described as the “Chandrabhaga division”. He accused certain elements of trying to “erase or alter” the identity of the region by promoting separate regional nomenclatures.
Sharma maintained that Jammu and Kashmir was one entity formed through the efforts of Maharaja Hari Singh and termed the present-day region as his legacy. He said that if any reorganisation or official nomenclature was to be adopted, it was the government’s responsibility to do so formally.
The BJP leader also criticised what he termed as attempts to project regions such as Pir Panjal and Chenab valley as separate entities, saying such moves could lead to unnecessary divisions.
