JAMMU: Members of National Conference and BJP clashed in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly during the Opposition’s protest to demand a time-bound judicial probe into civilian killings during the 2016 Kashmir unrest.
As Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti announced that her government will set up special investigation teams in all districts for probing the killings in a time-bound manner, NC MLA Mohd Akbar Lone intervened demanding a judicial inquiry into the matter.
He was seconded by Congress’s G M Saroori. Independent legislator Hakeem Yaseen also said that government should constitute a judicial commission to probe the cases.
NC member Ali Mohmmad Sagar said that unlike Omar Abdullah, who owned up to the killings in 2010, Mufti “remained hidden”. He said a commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge should look into the matter.
As the government did not respond to the opposition’s demand of a judical probe, members of the opposition parties threw papers in the Well of the House and resorted to anti-government sloganeering and hooting.
Verbal duels were witnessed between BJP and NC members, who trooped into the Well of the House surrounded by marshals and watch and ward staff.
Congress Legislative Party leader Nawang Rigzin Jora said: “Mufti should take responsibility of the killings last year as Omar did in 2010. She is coward. There should be a judicial probe.”
Some NC legislators then rushed to BJP MLA Ravinder Raina and snatched his mike when he was speaking on the governor’s address, triggering pushing and shoving between the members of two parties.
A scuffle erupted between the members of the two parties when the NC MLAs tried to snatch Raina’s mike again. National Conference legislator Abdul Majeed Bhat Larmi was marshalled out of the House by the watch and ward staff for creating ruckus. Meanwhile Opposition members from National Conference and Congress created ruckus in the Legislative Assembly while demanding judicial probe in 2016 unrest.
As soon as the Chief Minister replied on Kashmir unrest in the House, NC and Congress legislators demanded that Mehbooba Mufti should order judicial probe in 2016 Kashmir unrest headed by Supreme Court judge.
Shouting slogans ‘Qatil Sarkar Hai-Hai’, ‘RSS Sarkar Hai-Hai’, ‘Corrupt Sarkar Hai-Hai’, opposition members created uproar in the House and entered into the Well of the House.
NC members lashed out at BJP for remaining silent and said, “BJP after six decades got power in Jammu and Kashmir and for power lust, they are not concerned for the deaths of innocents.”
NC members however, stormed into the well of the House and disrupted the proceedings.
The opposition members did not allow BJP MLAs to speak, snatched their mic and toppled the benches. NC members called the Speaker as ‘BJP Speaker’ and not allowing opposition to raise their voice. “Ms Mufti replied for more than one hour but she blamed every one for Kashmir unrest but not owned the responsibility,” Congress MLA Nawang Rigzin Jora said. Meanwhile, the first sitting of the Houses ended amid uproar by the opposition demanding judicial probe.