Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir (November 7, 2024): A fresh ruckus erupted in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Thursday after Awami Ittehad Party MLA Khurshid Ahmad Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh, brother of Engineer Rashid, displayed a banner on the restoration of Article 370. The banner, which was shown during the ongoing session, sparked strong objections from Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma. The disruption led to a brief adjournment of the House as tensions rose between members.
The banner read: “We demand restoration of Article 370 and 35A. Release of political prisoners.”
Speaking about the incident, Sheikh defended his actions, saying, "This is completely legal. We wanted to bring a resolution over Article 370, but we were not given a chance. So, what other option did we have? The banner talked about (abrogation of) Article 370 and Article 35A, which we condemn. But this did not go down well with the BJP. Even if they continue to attack us we will continue to raise our voices."
This incident follows a similar uproar on Wednesday when Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary introduced a resolution calling for the restoration of Article 370, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The resolution was met with fierce opposition from Sunil Sharma, leading to a heated exchange on the assembly floor.
The political debate over Article 370 has been at the center of discussions in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly since it reconvened on Monday. PDP leader Waheed Para, representing Pulwama, introduced a resolution to reinstate Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and statehood, aligning with his party's stance against the 2019 revocation of Article 370.
However, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah dismissed the resolution as a symbolic move, saying it was introduced "for the cameras" and lacked any real significance. Abdullah further criticized the lack of consultation with his party, the National Conference, suggesting that if the resolution were genuine, it should have been discussed in advance with his party.
The restoration of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir's statehood was a key promise in the National Conference's election manifesto. The party had campaigned for the reversal of the 2019 abrogation of the article, which ended the region's special autonomy.
The current session of the newly elected assembly is scheduled to conclude on November 8. The assembly elections, which were held after a 10-year gap, resulted in a divided mandate. The Congress-National Conference alliance won 49 seats in the 90-member assembly, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 29 seats.
(With inputs from agencies)