Chaos in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Over Article 370

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was thrown into chaos on Thursday as tensions escalated into a fist fight among members.

The trouble started when Khurshid Ahmad Sheikh, the brother of jailed Baramulla MP Engineer Rashid, displayed a banner on Article 370 during the session.

BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition, Sunil Sharma, strongly objected to the banner, leading to a heated argument.

This quickly escalated into physical clashes, forcing Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to temporarily adjourn the session. The disruption took place during the ongoing five-day Assembly session, the first such meeting in six years, which began on Monday.

Week of Tumultuous Debates

This session has been marked by intense debates and disruptions over Article 370, the provision that granted special autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir until its revocation in 2019.

On the first day, PDP MLA Waheed Para introduced a resolution calling for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's special status.

The motion led to chaos in the House, setting the tone for the week. On Wednesday, the Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to find a constitutional way to restore the region's special status. The resolution was passed amid loud protests and voice votes, expressing concern over the "unilateral removal" of Article 370.

While the resolution was supported by valley-based parties, it faced strong opposition from the BJP, whose members repeatedly disrupted proceedings, demanding the rollback of the motion.

Background on Article 370

Article 370, which was part of the Indian Constitution, gave Jammu and Kashmir a unique status. It allowed the region to have its own constitution, flag, and considerable autonomy in internal matters, except for defense, foreign affairs, and communications.

The Centre’s decision to revoke Article 370 in 2019 led to the reorganisation of the region into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.