Srinagar, Oct 29 (IANS) The J&K Assembly on Wednesday witnessed sharp verbal clashes between members of the ruling National Conference (NC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the remarks of the latter’s MLA regarding the people of her constituency.

BJP’s Shagun Parihar, who represents the Kishtwar Assembly seat while raising issues concerning her constituency, referred to certain areas as having a “Hindu population” and used the term “Rashtriyawaadi log”.

Her remarks triggered a strong reaction from NC legislators, who objected strongly, leading to an uproar in the House.

Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather intervened to restore order in the house so that the day’s business could be conducted smoothly.

J&K Assembly is presently in its short Autumn session, which began on October 23 and will end on October 31.

The ruling NC has 41 members, the BJP 28, the Congress 6, the PDP 3, the CPI-M, the Aam Aadmi Party, the Awami Ittehad Party, and the Peoples Conference, one each, and five independents. One independent later joined the NC while the Congress decided to support the NC government headed by Omar Abdullah from outside without joining it.

Lone AAP MLA, Mehraj Malik, presently in detention, had initially supported the NC government, but later withdrew his support.

Two seats in the 90-member Assembly are vacant, and the bypoll will be held for them on November 11. The Nagrota seat in the Jammu division fell vacant after sitting BJP member Devender Singh Rana passed away on October 31, 2024. The Budgam seat in the Valley fell vacant when Omar Abdullah resigned from this seat after winning two seats in the 2024 assembly elections.

BJP has fielded Devyani Rana, the daughter of the late Devender Singh Rana from Nagrota, while the NC has fielded Shamim Begum from Nagrota.

The NC has fielded Aga Syed Mehmood for the Budgam Assembly constituency, while the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has fielded Aga Muntazir Mehdi, the BJP has fielded Aga Syed Mohsin, and Mohiuddin Muntazir, the chief spokesperson of Altaf Bukhari’s Apni Party, left the party and is standing as an independent.

–IANS

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