(Muslim Mirror Report) Noisy and confrontational scenes unfolded in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Tuesday as legislators from both the treasury and opposition benches clashed over two emotionally charged issues: alleged harassment of Kashmiri Muslims outside the Union Territory and the longstanding demand for a separate National Law University (NLU) in the Jammu region.
As the House convened for Question Hour, National Conference (NC) MLA Mubarak Gul accused certain forces—implicitly pointing to the BJP—of desiring Kashmir’s land but not its people. He alleged widespread harassment of Kashmiri Muslims across India.
NC colleague Mir Saifullah escalated the claims, stating that Kashmiris living in other states were receiving threatening phone calls and, in some instances, being confined to their rented accommodations. He claimed groups of 50–100 individuals were locked inside, and those permitted to leave faced physical assault.
PDP legislator Waheed ur Rehman Parra submitted an adjournment motion seeking urgent discussion on “hate crimes” targeting Kashmiris nationwide, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
Simultaneously, BJP members, led by Surjit Singh Slathia, disrupted proceedings by standing up and demanding a dedicated NLU for Jammu. Slathia argued that if separate central universities exist for Jammu and Kashmir divisions, there is no reason to deny Jammu its own premier law institution. Several BJP legislators rose on their benches, holding placards featuring maps of J&K, as students reportedly protested on the streets over the same issue.
The first ten minutes of Question Hour were consumed by these parallel outbursts. Speaker Raghuvinder Kaur urged members to allow regular proceedings, assuring NC legislators that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had already personally taken up the harassment matter with concerned state governments, leading to some remedial action.
She informed PDP’s Parra that his adjournment motion was disallowed, as the topic could be addressed through other parliamentary avenues. The Speaker promised BJP members a later opportunity to discuss the NLU demand.
Outside the Assembly complex, NC legislators staged a demonstration to protest the alleged mistreatment of Kashmiri Muslims elsewhere in the country, underscoring deep regional and communal divides persisting in the House. — With Agencies Inputs