Ishtiyaq Kar
Jammu, Feb 03 (KINS): The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday witnessed noisy scenes, sharp exchanges and a walkout as opposition BJP members pressed for the establishment of a National Law University (NLU) in Jammu, while legislators from the National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) raised concerns over alleged harassment of Kashmiris outside the Union Territory.
The proceedings were disrupted soon after the House convened, with BJP MLA Surjit Singh Slathia raising the issue of Jammu University students protesting for an NLU in the Jammu region. He said that while his party was not opposed to setting up a law university in Kashmir, Jammu too deserved equal consideration.
“We are not against an NLU for Kashmir, but students in Jammu are also demanding one such institution. Their aspirations must be fulfilled,” Slathia said.
As he spoke, BJP legislators stood up, displayed placards and raised slogans of “NLU for Jammu,” triggering protests from the treasury benches. Congress MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat objected to the display of placards, citing a recent Business Advisory Committee decision to uphold the decorum of the House.
“Displaying placards amounts to intrusion and is unacceptable. The government granted permission for the NLU in Kashmir through due process,” Bhat said.
Amid the uproar, NC MLA Mubarak Gul and PDP MLA Wahid-ur-Rehman Para sought to raise the issue of alleged harassment and assaults on Kashmiri students and traders in different parts of the country. Para moved an adjournment motion to discuss what he termed growing incidents of “hate crime” against Kashmiris.
Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather rejected the adjournment motion and allowed the Question Hour to continue, repeatedly urging members to maintain order. He said the matter could be taken up through appropriate channels without disrupting House proceedings.
“There is no question of adjournment. Question Hour is meant to make the government accountable, and the issues raised can be addressed through other means,” the Speaker said.
He informed the House that the Jammu and Kashmir government had already taken up the issue of harassment of Kashmiris with various state governments and thanked the Uttarakhand Chief Minister for taking prompt action in a recent case.
Meanwhile, tension escalated during Question Hour when BJP MLAs Rajiv Jasrotia and Pawan Gupta walked out of the House, alleging discrimination against the Jammu region in the allocation of flood relief funds.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary denied the allegations and exchanged heated words with the BJP members. Responding to Jasrotia’s query, Choudhary said that no funds had been released by the Centre for flood restoration works during the current financial year 2025–26.
He said, however, that Rs 289.39 crore had been released under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and an additional Rs 100 crore under the UT Capex Budget for flood relief measures. He also cited allocations under the Flood Management and Border Area Programme and said the Centre had earmarked Rs 1,431 crore for J&K under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI), to be released once detailed proposals are submitted.
Not satisfied with the reply, BJP legislators accused the Deputy CM of misleading the House, claiming that the Union Home Ministry had already sanctioned Rs 212 crore as immediate relief. Choudhary hit back, accusing the BJP of politicising suffering.
“Whether floods hit Jammu or Kashmir, the pain is the same for us. Our government does not discriminate,” he said, also attacking the BJP over the alleged closure of the Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College.
Later, speaking to reporters, Jasrotia alleged that Jammu was ignored despite being badly hit by floods and landslides last year. Gupta said his Udhampur constituency suffered extensive damage but received no relief.
Earlier, NC MLAs staged a dharna outside the Assembly complex, demanding restoration of statehood and an end to the alleged harassment of Kashmiris outside J&K. Carrying placards and raising slogans, the legislators said the promise of restoring statehood must be fulfilled.
“This was promised to us. It is time to restore statehood,” NC MLA Tanvir Sadiq said, while appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure the safety of Kashmiris living and working outside the Union Territory.
The issue was later echoed inside the House, with legislators referring to recent incidents, including the assault on an 18-year-old Kashmiri shawl seller in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun district, highlighting growing concerns over the safety of Kashmiris in other states.(KINS)
