Srinagar: In a turbulent start to the JK Assembly session, PDP MLA Waheed ur Rehman Para introduced a resolution seeking the restoration of Article 370, sparking immediate opposition from BJP legislators.
Amid the uproar, BJP MLAs urged newly elected Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to discard the resolution on the spot.
In response, Speaker Rather asserted his authority, stating, “This is my domain; let me examine the resolution and decide accordingly.” Despite his efforts to calm the House, BJP members continued to protest, refusing to take their seats and calling the move inappropriate for the session’s opening day.
Earlier, veteran National Conference leader and seven-time MLA Abdul Rahim Rather was elected as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
On Sunday evening, the National Conference held a meeting in Srinagar with its legislative party and alliance partners, including Congress MLAs.
“It was an introductory meeting with a brief discussion. The Speaker’s election and the LG’s address are scheduled for tomorrow; we’ll see how it unfolds,” Jammu and Kashmir Congress President Tariq Hamid Karra had said.
The session, scheduled to conclude on November 8, will include obituary tributes for former legislators who passed away since the last Assembly session on November 5. A discussion on the Motion of Thanks for the LG’s address is set for November 6 and 7.
In the last Assembly election, the Congress-National Conference alliance won 49 out of 90 seats, while the BJP secured 29. This election was the first in a decade and followed the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. NC leader Omar Abdullah was sworn in as Chief Minister on September 16.
