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Srinagar: Heated clashes broke out in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Wednesday between members of the ruling National Conference (NC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the MLA’s comments regarding the people of his constituency.
BJP’s Shagun Parihar, who represents Kishtwar assembly seat, raised issues related to her constituency, referring to some areas as “Hindu population” and using the term “nationalist people”.
His remarks drew a strong reaction from NC MLAs, who raised strong objections, leading to an uproar in the House.
Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather intervened to restore order in the House so that the day’s business could proceed smoothly.
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly is currently in its abbreviated autumn session, which began on October 23 and will end on October 31.
The ruling NC has 41 members, BJP 28, Congress 6, PDP 3, CPI-M, Aam Aadmi Party, Awami Ittehad Party and People’s Conference one each and five independent members. An independent later joined the NC, while the Congress decided to support the Omar Abdullah-led NC government from outside without joining it.
AAP’s lone MLA Mehraj Malik, who is currently in custody, had initially supported the NC government but later withdrew his support.
Two seats are vacant in the 90-member assembly, and by-elections for them will be held on November 11. Nagrota seat in Jammu division fell vacant after the demise of sitting BJP member Devendra Singh Rana on October 31, 2024. Budgam seat in the Valley fell vacant when Omar Abdullah resigned from the seat after winning two seats in the 2024 assembly elections.
BJP has fielded Devyani Rana, daughter of late Devender Singh Rana, from Nagrota, while NC has fielded Shamim Begum from Nagrota.
The NC has fielded Agha Syed Mahmood for the Budgam assembly constituency, while the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has fielded Agha Muntajir Mehdi, the BJP has fielded Agha Syed Mohsin and Altaf Bukhari’s own party’s chief spokesperson Mohiuddin Muntajir has left the party and is standing as an independent.
–IANS