Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Tuesday witnessed chaotic scenes for nearly half-an-hour after Question Hour as Congress and an Independent MLA raised objections to remarks made earlier by BJP legislator Vikram Randhawa regarding alleged encroachments on JDA land.
Congress MLAs Irfan Hafiz Lone and Iftikhar Ahmad, along with Independent MLA Sheikh Khursheed Ahmad, displayed placards and raised slogans like “Chor Machaaye Shor”, seeking an apology from Randhawa over his February 13 statement that 90 percent of the encroachers on 688 kanals of Jammu Development Authority (JDA) land in his Bahu constituency were from Kashmir.
As the House met this morning after a three-day holiday, Khursheed Ahmad tried to raise the issue but was asked to take his seat by Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, who began proceedings with an obituary reference.
The House paid tributes to former minister Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad Shah and former MLC Brij Mohan Sharma, who died on February 13 and February 16, respectively. The members later observed a two-minute silence in memory of the deceased leaders.
While the Question Hour passed off without any disruption, the two Congress legislators and the Independent MLA stood up on their feet and started chanting slogans and displaying placards to press for an apology from Randhawa, claiming that he himself has occupied over eight kanals of JDA land and has no justification to point fingers at anyone.
Peoples Democratic Party and National Conference members extended support to the Congress and the Independent MLA amid the war of words between Randhawa and the agitated members who accused him of trying to defame Kashmiri Muslims.
The BJP leader tried to clear his position with the speaker making repeated attempts to restore order.
The three agitating members also moved towards the front row and attempted to enter the Well of the House but were stopped by Assembly marshals.
On the intervention of Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and senior BJP leader Sham Lal Sharma, Randhawa made a statement in the house, stating that he has not attacked any community as a whole, but his concern was with regard to certain individuals who have occupied land in his constituency.
“If, in my words, it is proven that I have opposed or insulted any particular community, I am willing to withdraw those words,” he said.
On this, the Speaker said the member has clarified that he had not intended to target the entire Kashmiri community and assured appropriate action, including expunging of any words deemed unparliamentary.
