‘They speak in Dogri, why can’t I?’: NC MLA asked to speak in Urdu instead of Kashmiri in assembly

Srinagar: A brief exchange in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday highlighted concerns over language use in the House, as Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather directed National Conference MLA Altaf Ahmad Wani to speak in Urdu instead of Kashmiri.

Wani was raising a supplementary question regarding the establishment of a hotel management institute in Pahalgam when he began speaking in Kashmiri.

However, the speaker interrupted, instructing him to switch to Urdu, citing difficulties faced by reporters in understanding the regional language.

However, Wani questioned the directive, saying, “Sir, when they can speak in Dogri,” referring to Jammu-based MLAs, “why can’t I?”

The Speaker did not address his objection and instead moved on to the next question, leaving the matter unresolved.

The incident has once again brought attention to the status of Kashmiri in official proceedings, with language representation remaining a sensitive issue in the region’s political and legislative discourse.