BJP MLAs stage protest in Srinagar against Abdullah’s speech

SRINAGAR - The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the National Panthers Party MLAs on Friday staged a dharna outside the state Assembly over a speech delivered by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on the prevailing law and order situation in Kashmir.

They demanded an apology from Abdullah and asked him to withdraw is remarks

“No chief minister in the last 63 years has made such remarks as made by Omar Abdullah, which are provocative and anti-national,” said Jugal Kishore, BJP MLA.

On Thursday, opposition lawmakers tried to storm to the Well of the House.

Protesting MLAs were later evicted from the Assembly for disruptive behavior.

During the melee, a Panthers Party member and three BJP leaders-Jugal Kishore, Sukhnandan and Lal Chand-were injured.

The BJP Legislature Party is also expected to boycott the remaining part of the Assembly session, which ends on Saturday (October 9).

On Wednesday, Omar Abdullah said neither he nor his council of ministers were acting as puppets of the Centre.

“We are not puppets. We take decisions for our people and for their benefit,” Abdullah asserted.

He further said Kashmir had not merged with India in 1947, but acceded to it. Kashmir is an issue between two neighbours. It is not an issue about development.

In an apparent reference to the BJP’s stand that there was no dispute to be resolved with regard to Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said if that would have been the case, there would have been no need for the Shimla Agreement, the Lahore Declaration and for talks in Agra and Delhi.

“Kashmir was an outstanding issue which needs to be resolved. It is a political issue and cannot be addressed through development, employment or good governance only,” he said. (ANI)