Pandemonium Erupts in J&K Assembly as Statehood Resolution Sparks Bitter NC-BJP Showdown
The confrontation was triggered by a reference in the resolution to the autonomy resolution passed by the erstwhile J&K State Legislative Assembly in 2000
Srinagar: Scenes of unprecedented chaos unfolded in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Friday as members of the ruling National Conference (NC), along with its allies in the Congress and other parties, clashed bitterly with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah moved a resolution demanding the immediate restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
The confrontation was triggered by a reference in the resolution to the autonomy resolution passed by the erstwhile J&K State Legislative Assembly on June 26, 2000. BJP members strongly objected to the inclusion of the autonomy issue, arguing that the discussion on statehood was being unnecessarily linked to a matter that had long been settled. As tempers flared, BJP legislators rushed into the Well of the House, raising slogans against any attempt to revive the autonomy debate. In response, NC, Congress and allied members also trooped into the Well, leading to noisy face-offs and slogan shouting from both sides.
The House reverberated with competing political chants. While NC and allied legislators raised slogans demanding, “Special status bahal karo” (restore special status), BJP members countered with cries of “Jammu and Kashmir, where Syama Prasad Mookerjee laid down his life, belongs to us in its entirety.” The slogan war soon escalated into heated exchanges, with members from rival camps confronting one another at close quarters. Amid the disorder, some legislators were involved in physical scuffles, further deepening the acrimonious atmosphere inside the Assembly.
The resolution moved by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah states that, in addition to the resolutions adopted by the Assembly on June 26, 2000, and November 6, 2024, the House calls upon the Government of India to restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir without any further delay and resolves that the demand be formally conveyed to the Union Government.
The reference to the 2000 autonomy resolution became the principal flashpoint. BJP members questioned the necessity of invoking autonomy while discussing statehood, contending that the two issues were separate and that the Assembly should confine itself to the demand for statehood. NC legislators, however, defended the inclusion, maintaining that the party could not abandon its long-standing political position on J&K's constitutional rights and safeguards.
The NC had pledged in its 2024 Assembly election manifesto to pursue the implementation of the autonomy resolution adopted by the Assembly in 2000. That landmark resolution had sought the restoration of J&K's pre-1953 constitutional position by advocating the return of powers that had gradually been transferred to the Centre over several decades. Although the resolution was passed by the state legislature, it was subsequently rejected by the Union Cabinet, effectively preventing its implementation.
Defending the statehood resolution, Chief Minister Abdullah told the House that the Union Government was duty-bound to honour the assurances repeatedly made in Parliament, before the Supreme Court and on various public platforms regarding the restoration of statehood to J&K. He pointed out that all conditions cited by the Centre for the return of statehood had already been fulfilled, including the completion of the delimitation exercise and the successful conduct of Assembly elections.
“What is the delay then?” Abdullah asked, asserting that there was no constitutional, administrative or political justification left for withholding statehood. He stressed that the people of J&K had participated enthusiastically in the democratic process and had elected a representative government with the expectation that full statehood would be restored.
The Chief Minister further clarified that neither he nor his party supported a partial or conditional arrangement. “We seek the restoration of full and unconditional statehood to Jammu and Kashmir,” he said, emphasising that the demand was not merely a political commitment of the NC but a widely shared aspiration of the people across the Union Territory. He argued that the restoration of statehood was essential for strengthening democratic institutions, ensuring greater administrative accountability and protecting the rights and interests of the people.
Amid the uproar, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather repeatedly appealed to members to return to their seats and allow the proceedings to continue. Assuring agitating legislators that every viewpoint would be heard, he urged the House to maintain decorum and respect parliamentary traditions. However, his appeals went largely unheeded as slogan shouting and confrontations continued unabated. With the pandemonium showing no signs of subsiding and normal business rendered impossible, the Speaker finally adjourned the House for half an hour in an effort to restore order.
