Srinagar

The J&K Assembly was adjourned until Thursday following chaos on Wednesday over the passing of a resolution to restore Article 370. BJP MLAs staged a protest, disrupting proceedings, and refused to allow the House to continue. In response, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather suggested that the BJP bring a no-confidence motion against him if they were dissatisfied with his handling of the situation.

Amid heated exchanges, BJP leader Sham Lal Choudhary accused Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary of becoming the ‘Jaichand of Jammu’ for sponsoring the resolution. The resolution, which called for the restoration of Article 370, was moved by Surinder Choudhary and seconded by NC leader Sakina Masood.

BJP leader Sunil Sharma strongly opposed the resolution, arguing that it was inappropriate to discuss such a matter during a debate on the Lieutenant Governor’s address. The resolution, however, passed with support from opposition parties, including independent MLAs, the Peoples Conference, CPI(M), and PDP. It called for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and emphasized the need for dialogue with the Government of India.

Though the resolution has no legal standing, as Article 370 was abrogated in 2019, it signals a political confrontation between the J&K government and the Centre. The Speaker initially adjourned the session for 15 minutes due to the uproar.