Did NC and BJP MLAs Clash in Assembly Over J&K's Special Status?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Jammu, Feb 7 (NationPress) Intense debates erupted on Saturday in the Legislative Assembly as members from the ruling National Conference and the Opposition BJP exchanged heated words regarding the special status of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
The situation escalated when National Conference MLA Javid Baig addressed the topic of J&K's special status, igniting a response from Leader of Opposition (LoP) and BJP MLA Sunil Sharma, who insisted that there is no provision for special status.
“I am willing to accept any consequences if you can present the term 'special status' in the Indian Constitution. Mere shouting in the Assembly won’t suffice,” stated LoP Sharma emphatically.
In response, National Conference MLAs raised slogans supporting Article 370, which led to a raucous atmosphere as BJP MLAs also began to chant, resulting in a brief uproar.
The special status attributed to J&K was revoked by Parliament on August 5, 2019, following the abrogation of Article 370.
On the same day, the region was bifurcated into two Union Territories: J&K and Ladakh.
Since June 2017, when the then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti resigned, Central rule has been in effect in the former state after the BJP withdrew support from the PDP-led administration.
The imposition of President’s Rule was lifted on October 13, 2024, enabling the establishment of an elected government.
Following the 2024 Assembly elections, Omar Abdullah assumed the role of Chief Minister in J&K. The National Conference holds 41 seats in the 90-member J&K Legislative Assembly, while the BJP, with 29 seats, stands as the largest opposition party.
Additionally, the Congress supports the National Conference government with its 6 members, while the PDP has 4, the CPI 1, Aam Aadmi Party 1, Awami Ittehad Party 1, Peoples Conference 1, along with 6 independents, of which five later joined the National Conference.