Jammu, Feb 3 (NationPress) The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly witnessed significant turmoil on Tuesday as BJP MLAs pressed for the establishment of a National Law University in Jammu, while members of NC and PDP voiced concerns regarding the rising incidents of attacks on Kashmiris beyond the union territory.

The session was marked by loud exchanges as both the ruling party and the opposition engaged in a heated discussion over their respective concerns.

Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather opted to proceed with the Question Hour despite the commotion and dismissed an adjournment motion put forth by PDP MLA Wahid-ur-Rehman Para aimed at addressing the growing occurrences of “hate crime” against Kashmiris across India.

During the Assembly's commencement, BJP MLA Surjit Singh Slathia highlighted the protests by Jammu University students advocating for a law university. He emphasized that while his party supports the establishment of a National Law University (NLU) for Kashmir, there is also an urgent need for a similar institution in Jammu to meet student demands.

As Slathia spoke, fellow BJP MLAs rose to display placards endorsing their demand and chanted slogans like “NLU for Jammu.”

Congress legislator Nizam-ud-Din Bhat objected to the placard display, asserting that the recent meeting of the business advisory committee had stressed the importance of maintaining decorum within the House during discussions.

“The act of displaying placards by BJP members resembles encroachment and is unacceptable. The government has followed the necessary processes to allow NLU in Kashmir,” stated Congress MLA Bhat.

Amid the uproar, NC MLA Mubarak Gul claimed that Kashmiri students and traders are suffering harassment and assaults in various parts of the country, which is intolerable.

PDP’s Waheed-ur-Rehman Para informed the Speaker about his adjournment motion concerning the escalating incidents of “hate crime” against Kashmiri students and others.

NC MLA Saifullah Mir alleged that numerous Kashmiris living outside the UT are being restricted from leaving their residences and are facing assault should they venture out, necessitating government intervention.

The Speaker repeatedly intervened, urging members to uphold the decorum of the assembly. “There is no need for an adjournment motion as the issues raised can be addressed through proper channels without disrupting the Question Hour, which serves to hold the government accountable,” the Speaker ruled.

He noted that the J&K government has proactively brought the issue of Kashmiri harassment to the attention of various state governments and expressed gratitude to the Uttarakhand chief minister for promptly addressing an incident.

Earlier, NC MLAs staged a ‘dharna’ outside the assembly in protest against the attacks on Kashmiris and to advocate for the restoration of statehood.